For the first time, 300 of ban (orchid) flower trees from the northwest mountainous region are on display at Ha Noi Museum.
The museum is hosting the first Ban Flower Festival, which runs until April 14 aiming to honour and preserve cultural heritage of ethnic groups.The festival also promotes tourism potential and strengthening contributing to socio-economic development in the region.“As soon as I know that the Ban Flower Festival is to be held in Hanoi, I feel very happy and excited,” said Sam Thi Nguyet at the festival opening ceremony.“When I come here, it is amazing to see ban flower which were brought to Hanoi capital for the first time. It is a wonderful chance for the people including Hanoians and other people living in Hanoi to better understand the beauty of the mountainous culture. I will also get acquainted with Thai people from other localities and I think that I will have more understanding about the culture of my own people.”Nguyet is from the Thai ethnic group in Quy Hop district in the central province of Nghe An. She is among many young people at the first day of the festival to enjoy ban flower.Poet Duong Dinh Trong was also present at the festival very early. “I am very happy to attend the festival featuring Thai culture,” Trong said.“As a citizen of the capital, I hope there will be more festivals, not only of the Thai people but also that other ethnic groups will be organised in Hanoi so people can understand more about the culture of ethnic groups in Vietnam.”Household daily objects of Thai ethnic group such as jar of wine, looms and bamboo tubes to get water create a vivid space of the northwest culture to impress the festival-goers.About 200 booths are set to popular speciality and culinary of the northwest region. The ban flower trees are being taken care of by experts to ensure they stay fresh. Each tree has information attached to it to reveal their origins.Ban Flower Festival, known as Xen Muong, is organised annually by the Thai ethnic group in the northwest provinces in the second Lunar month to coincide with ban flower bloom.The festival shows the respect of the gods and the heroic people and it is also an opportunity to pray for happiness and prosperousness.The first Ban Flower Festival is held by Tay Bac Investment Promotion & Trade Fair to raise fund for bridge building for children going to school and clean water in the mountainous provinces.The festival is running at the Hanoi Museum, Pham Hung Road, Nam Tu Liem district.
