With the theme "Ba Vi Green Experience", the Hanoi Ecotourism Festival 2023, organized by the Hanoi Department of Tourism in cooperation with the Ba Vi District People's Committee, kicked off today [December 9] and will run until tomorrow [Dec 10] at the Ao Vua (King Pond) Ecotourism Area, Ba Vi District, Hanoi.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dang Huong Giang, director of the city's tourism department, said that the ideal natural conditions have led to the rapid development of ecotourism in the suburban districts of Hanoi in recent years.

With an imposing mountain and many man-made lakes with large water surfaces, Ba Vi has precious natural resources suitable for creating large-scale ecotourism attractions to meet the growing demand for weekend relaxation and entertainment among residents and tourists.

"Through the festival, the department hopes to leverage the advantages of eco-tourism in Ba Vi in particular, and the entire capital in general, to develop diverse and attractive products that meet the needs of tourists," she said.

There will be a food court for local cuisine and 'Hanoian beer culture, along with entertainment activities and ethnic cultural performances such as Muong folk song singing, Muong gong playing and dancing, Muong flute playing, campfire and various folk games imbued with cultural colors.

Great potentials  

The event takes visitors on an experiential journey of discovering Hanoi's outstanding ecotourism products through an art program, which introduces local destinations with unique and diverse traditional cultural features, highlighting Hanoi's great ecotourism potential.

Nguyen Thanh Chuc, a tourist from Cau Giay District, attended the festival excitedly. She told The Hanoi Times that this is a great opportunity for her family to go out together.

Ba Vi District is a true gem of Vietnam's natural beauty. Covering an area of 424 square kilometers, this isolated limestone mountainous area is known for its diverse ecosystems, cool fresh mountain air, and mystical, atmospheric backdrop of clouds, jungle and tropical rainforest. But that's not all - the Ba Vi mountains are also home to a wealth of historical and cultural relics from Vietnam.

Approximately 42% of Ba Vi's land area is mountainous, with the Ba Vi mountain range, whose highest peak is 4,252 feet, home to a diverse and abundant array of rare and exotic plants and animals.

Surrounding the mountain are hundreds of streams and lakes, such as Ao Vua Waterfall and Stream, Khoang Xanh Waterfall, Mo Waterfall, Tien Stream and Suoi Hai Lake, with beautiful scenery. In particular, Thuan My hot mineral springs are ideal for leisure, medical and wellness tourism throughout the year.

"Our local clients from downtown usually choose Ba Vi to organize their team building and educational picnics or to have a wellness vacation," he said.