Folk culture has played a vital role for the success of Sa Pa Street Festival 2013, according to the organising board of the festival.

More than 450 artists and actors including 300 students of Lao Cai School of Culture Arts and Tourism were involved in folk dances and games which fascinated thousands of tourists from Europe, America and Asian countries at the event.

Visitors also enjoyed learning how to produce hand-made brocade, silver items or forging tools.

Director of provincial Culture, Sport and Tourism Department Tran Huu Son said folk culture in the region is rich and diversified. As a matter of fact, tapping it for tourism industry will contribute to provincial economic development.

The northern mountainous province of Lao Cai People’s Committee celebrated a grand ceremony to mark the 110th anniversary of Sa Pa tourism in Sa Pa town on November 2.

Sa Pa Street Festival 2013, which comprised many special activities depicting local culture and the history of the town, has an important meaning in raising public awareness and responsibility of preserving cultural identity and natural sites of Sa Pa, creating more tourism products and fueling the local socio-economic development.

With 162 hotels and hostels with total capacity of 2,500 rooms, the town has welcomed millions of domestic and foreign visitors every year and enjoyed an annual tourism earnings growth of 35-40 percent.

Located 38km from Lao Cai City, Sa Pa is 1,600m high above sea level, with the average temperature of 15-18°C. The whole town is dominated by the Hoang Lien Son mountain range which is famous with the Indochina’s highest mountain of Fansipan at a height of 3,142 m above sea level.

Discovered in 1903, Sa Pa has many natural sites such as Ham Rong Mountain, Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge, Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave. It is home to six main ethnic minority groups, including Kinh, Hmong, Dao, Tay, Day and Xa Pho with various traditional festivals and unique cultural practices, especially the Bac Ha market and Sa Pa love market.

Local authorities said from October 31 to November 2 alone, Sa Pa received about 40,000 visitors, helping Lao Cai province fulfill is set target of welcoming 1 million tourist for 2013 two months earlier than planned.

According to the Lao Cai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province has so far this year welcomed 960,000 visitors, a 13.9 percent rise over the same period last year, earning over 1.927 billion VND.

The Northwestern part of Vietnam is one of the most interesting and beautiful areas of South East Asia.-VNA