The festival, jointly held by the Sapa District People’s Committee and the Ham Rong Tourism Joint Stock Company, is part of the Sapa Tourism and Culture Week.

The festival is designed to lead visitors from one delight to another with a series of activities highlighting the rich and distinctive aspects of Sapa’s diverse ethnic cultures.

Visitors can join local ethnic minority people to discover how they dye, weave and decorate their garments, or make their sandals.

They will have the chance to take part in forest tours to pick medicinal herbs and learn how to use the plants as well as prepare the traditional meals eaten by the various ethnic minority groups and explore the customs of the Dao ethnic minority people.

The festival’s organisers also plan to make the famous lover’s market as authentic as possible.

Throughout its history, lover’s market every Saturday night in Sapa has been a destination and opportunity for young, single Hmong, Dao, Tay and Ray ethnic minority people in the surrounding areas to go and find their true love.

Those already married also seldom miss the event, as it offers them an opportunity to revisit old flames and relive the experience of young love.

Other events including a photo exhibition and fairs of Northwestern cuisine and orchids will also be held as part of the festival, said the organisers.