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Organized by the West Lake District People's Committee and relevant departments, the Hanoi Lotus Festival will occur in July 2024 at West Lake District Creative Cultural Space. The city is going to debut a large-scale lotus festival. Hanoi Lotus Festival introduces and promotes the cultural values of the capital city, particularly West Lake Lotus.
Meeting to announce Hanoi Lotus Festival organization. Source: Hanoi Web Portal
The festival will showcase Hanoi lotus and lotus-based products. It will also honor the dedicated artisans of the West Lake lotus-growing region. Asia King Travel would like to highlight the key features of the Hanoi Lotus Festival 2024 for your reference in this article.
The Hanoi Lotus Festival celebrates the beauty and cultural significance of lotus in Hanoi, especially in the West Lake region. It shows the unique lotus tea-making process and the important role of lotus in Vietnamese culture.
Simultaneously, the event introduces OCOP (One Commune One Product), regional specialties of northern mountainous provinces' culture. The festival is a trade promotion activity to strengthen connections, exchange, and share experiences regarding Hanoi lotus products with other provinces across Vietnam.
Lotus is the national flower and a symbol of Vietnamese culture
Ms. Bui Thi Lan Phuong, Vice Chairwoman of West Lake District People's Committee, said the Hanoi Lotus Festival will showcase the unique values of lotus tea making, as well as the distinct characteristics of lotus culture in Vietnamese life.
Besides boosting domestic consumption through the upcoming Lotus Festival, the Organizing Committee hopes that West Lake Lotus will become a favorite choice for international tourists and ambassadors.
Hanoi Lotus Festival 2024 is expected to be held for 5 days, from July 12th to 16th, 2024. Before that, in March, West Lake lotus was planted on a trial basis in 4 small lakes around West Lake on about 7.5 hectares area. These lotus flowers will bloom most beautifully during the festival.
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The opening ceremony of the Hanoi Lotus Festival will take place from 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM on July 12, 2024, with the participation of over 5,000 delegates and visitors.
Trinh Cong Son walking street, the festival venue
National Intangible Cultural Heritage certificate for West Lake lotus tea-making tradition presentation followed after. "Beauty, Ao Dai, and Lotus" photo contest awards ceremony will conclude the event.
The festival organizers invite everyone to wear lotus-themed ao dai and capture photos at West Lake to celebrate and promote Hanoi's iconic lotus blossoms. Share these photos on social media or submit them to the official festival's Facebook page. Photos fitting the theme and using festival-related hashtags will be approved.
A lotus blossom stands out amongst a lotus flowers sea. Source: Cong Studio
The OCOP Fair will showcase 100 booths featuring regional specialties from Northern Highlands. Visitors can also enjoy interactive areas dedicated to lotus silk products, lotus-based cuisine, lotus decorations, and lotus-themed handicrafts. The fair will also present lotus varieties across Vietnam, including some most prized lotus cultivars.
Lotus-based products
At the fair, organizers will honor artisans, skilled workers, and those who have preserved and developed lotus cultivation practices in connection with tourism. They will also evaluate and award outstanding lotus products from other producers.
Alongside the main festival, visitors can enjoy an art exhibition with lotus-themed installations, a photo exhibition portraying the lotus in Vietnamese life, a "Trinh Cong Son and Friends" music night, etc.
Trinh Cong Son Street, named in honor of the talented musician
Notably, organizers will host two major side events in collaboration with West Lake District. The "Colors of West Lake Lotus" Green Journey cycling event will see 7,000 participants biking around West Lake. The "Lotus Connects Love" program will pay a visit to Heroic Vietnamese Mothers and families with preferential treatment policies in the district.
Lotus flowers have long been cultivated in West Lake, celebrated for splendid colors and delicate fragrance. West Lake lotus is a special variety containing up to 100 petals per bloom. It is called "Bach Diep" (100 petals) for this reason. Hanoi people cherish these flowers. And the lotus thrives in the capital's soil, flourishing in response to the care it receives.
Bach Diep lotus blooms in hundred petals
However, since 2018, changes in weather patterns and water quality have caused a decline in lotus cultivation area, essential for producing lotus-infused tea. In response, West Lake District has promptly implemented a project to restore and expand the lotus coverage area.
In April and May 2024, Hanoi Agricultural Extension Center provided West Lake District with 7,000 Bach Diep lotus seedlings. Local farmers followed the center's guidance for proper planting techniques, including misting and nighttime illumination to stimulate growth. The lotus plants in the restoration project began to bloom after two months.
West lake lotus is ready for the festival
It wasn't just cultivation techniques; lotus farmers' dedication was the key factor in this success. Elevating Hanoi's lotus plants has been a long-held aspiration for artisans who have devoted their lives to these flowers. And now they have an opportunity to showcase their expertise.
Through the festival, West Lake lotus-growing community wishes to introduce the art of lotus tea scenting, along with the unique cultural significance of lotus in Vietnamese life. What about you? Start planning a trip to Vietnam today and experience the Lotus Festival this coming July. You can contact Asia King Travel for dedicated assistance.
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