Japanese cherry trees blossoming in northern Vietnam

There are about 1,000 cherry trees on Pa Khoang island in Dien Bien, all of which can be seen blooming brilliantly from January to April.

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The trees imported from Japan before being grown locally are called “higan sakura” with “higan” referring to a spring Buddhist holiday celebrated by the Japanese.

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Pa Khoang island is now decorated with the soft pink colour of cherry blossoms. The cherry trees have flowers with a single layer of five petals.

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The first cherry blossom festival was launched in 2018 as part of efforts to lure more visitors to the area.

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This year the cherry blossom festival is scheduled to take place from January 12 to 14, serving as a curtain raiser for the celebration of the 70th year of Dien Bien Phu Victory over French colonialism and the 116th founding anniversary of Dien Bien.

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The festival is also part of activities to mark the 51st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan.

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As usual, visitors to the festival will have the chance to explore a Japanese tea ceremony, Japanese rice wine Sake, and Mong Pe, an aromatic wine of Vietnam’s northwestern region distilled from maize fermented with special forest leaves. Participants will also have the opportunity to try on Japanese costumes and explore the culture of the Far East nation.

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The festival is intended to promote the beauty of people and nature of Dien Bien, as well as boosting Pa Khoang island’s reputation as a popular destination.

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The island with its beautiful cherry blossoms has become a favourite destination for visitors in recent years.

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The striking colour of cherry blossoms and the annual cherry blossom festival has turned the once deserted island into an attractive destination to both domestic and foreign tourists. Dien Bien aims to welcome 1.3 million arrivals and earn over VND2 trillion in revenue in 2024.