On May 23, the Bac Ha White Plateau Festival 2026 with the theme "Echoes far from the horse hooves of the plateau" officially opened.
Immediately after the festival drums, tens of thousands of tourists flocked to the central stadium to witness the breathtaking acceleration of farmer jockeys at the qualifying round of the 19th Traditional Horse Race.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms. Pham Thi Non - Vice Chairwoman of Bac Ha Commune People's Committee affirmed that the 2026 Summer Festival is an opportunity for the locality to introduce cultural values, landscapes and typical tourism products to tourists from near and far.
The series of events lasts until May 31st, and is expected to continue to create leverage to promote highland tourism, gradually building unique products. In which, the traditional horse race continues to be the core associated with the National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
According to Ms. Pham Thi Non, coming to Bac Ha this time, tourists not only watch horse racing but also enjoy ripe Tam Hoa plums, explore the embroidery, weaving, and beeswax painting craft of the Mong, Dao, Phu La ethnic groups and immerse themselves in a unique cultural market.
Immediately after the opening ceremony, the qualifying round of the race took place extremely dramatically. This year, the race gathered 93 jockeys from many provinces and cities such as Lao Cai, Son La, Lai Chau, Tuyen Quang, Thanh Hoa and Hanoi.
The host Bac Ha contributed 45 jockeys, of which representatives from Na Ang B village and San Bay village were highly appreciated.
The unique point that attracts tourists is that the riders are all local farmers. On normal days, they ride horses to carry goods and go to the fields, but when entering the race, they dedicate courageous galloping performances.
According to the plan, tomorrow morning (May 24th) will take place the final round of the horse race and the money-making stick dance performance of 1,000 students towards establishing a Vietnam record.
