Dalat Flower Festival Opens

The Dalat Flower Festival 2005, one of the most awaited cultural and tourism event ahead of the New Year, was opened jubilantly on December 10 in the resort city of central highland Lam Dong province.

 

The nine-day festival started with an artistic performance on a floating stage on the poetic Xuan Huong Lake with nearly 1,000 participating artists in cherry-colored silk dresses.

 

At the opening ceremony of the festival, Vice President Truong My Hoa presented the title of flower artist to nine local flower growers and Thomas Hoff, Director of the Hasfarm flower company, who paved the way for the development of Dalat’s flower growing industry.

 

Present at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan said that the Festival was also an occasion to honor flower growers all over the country, to advertise the flower trademarks of Dalat and Vietnam, and to promote tourism.

 

Khoan expressed hope that the festival would become a regular event with a larger scale, national or international.

 

The magnificent performance of more than 160 flower-carrying vehicles has made deep impressions on tourists. Tourists were enchanted to see ten automobiles decorated with flowers in ten different designs, 35 old-styled automobiles, 30 scooters and fleets of two-seat bicycles, four-seat and six-seat bicycles, all decorated with flowers passing on the streets.

 

Dalat Flower Festival 2005, which will last until December 18, encompasses many interesting activities such as flower expositions at which special kinds of flower from many countries and territories will be on show. Festival organizers will also set out the “Mysterious Central Highlands” park, arrange festive nights of wine and love, and a wedding party for more than 100 domestic and foreign couples.