A traditional Thai dance will be featured at the first-ever Thai ethnic group festival to be held in the northern province of Lai Chau. — Photo vietbao.vn

HA NOI (VNS) — Various cultural and sports activities, featuring the Thai ethnic group's traditional identities, will be held for the first time in the northern Lai Chau province from December 27 to 29.

The event will bring together local people and those from the provinces of Dien Bien, Hoa Binh and Son La, as well as Lao Cai, Yen Bai and Nghe An, besides Thanh Hoa, where the majority of the Thai ethnic people in the country live.

Mass artistic performances will be organised during the days, and traditional costume shows, tourism and cultural products as well as the revival of traditional ceremonies of the group will be showcased.

Various folk games such as day gay, ban no and tung con, as well as to ma le and danh cu will be organised.

Visitors will be able to explore some popular tourism sites in the province, including the villages of Vang Pheo, Ban Hon and Na Luong, as well as San Thang and Pusamcap.

Lai Chau has the maximum number of Thai people, numbering more than 400,000 people, accounting for 37 per cent of the province's population.

According to Vuong Van Thanh, vice chairman of the Lai Chau People's Committee, 150,000 tourists visit the province every year, 20,000 of which are foreigners.

"We have coordinated with the neighbouring provinces to draw tourists to destinations in the northern provinces of Phu Tho, Yen Bai and Lao Cai, as well as Dien Bien and Son La," he said. "Our challenge is how tourists can be made to stay longer in Lai Chau." caption: A traditional Thai dance will be featured at the first-ever Thai ethnic group festival to be held in the northern province of Lai Chau. — VNS