Thousands of domestic and foreign visitors and local people flocked to the Sa Pa district Cultural Centre in the north-western province of Lao Cai to attend the opening ceremony of the 2009 Sa Pa Tourism and Culture Week.

In an opening speech, a representative of the district people’s committee highlighted the history, tradition, lifestyle and distinctive cultural identities of different ethnic groups in the district and the province.

Visitors were treated to a special performance given by artists from the provincial performance troupe and villages in the district. They also had the chance to enjoy folk games, including arnis, crossbow shooting and tug of war, and to take in the beauty of local flower varieties at a flower market fair.

On April 30, the Sa Pa Cloudy Festival began on Ham Rong Mountain, about 1,700m above sea level.

Organisers expect to receive 20,000 visitors to Sa Pa during the week-long event.