(VOVworld) - The first Thai ethnic cultural festival opened in the northern province of Lai Chau on Saturday. This is the first time the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated with Lai Chau province to organize the festival themed “Preserving and promoting the Thai ethnic group’s cultural identity in Vietnam’s development and international integration”.

Do Ha Long, deputy director of the Lai Chau provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said:  “Protecting and enhancing ethnic cultures is our central task. We have developed a strategic plan to preserve and promote the indigenous culture of ethnic groups, particularly groups with a population of less than 10,000.”