The Ban Gioc Waterfall Tourism Festival 2023 kicked off in the northern province of Cao Bang, which borders China, on the evening of October 6, seeing the participation of thousands of domestic and foreign tourists, according to a report from the State-run Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

The opening ceremony featured an enticing arts program, which covered a performance of “Then” singing - a specialty of ethnic minority groups - and the “Tinh” musical instrument.

Earlier on the same day, a water procession from the waterfall to a local pagoda took place to pray for peace in the country and good weather for agriculture.

The annual festival aims to introduce and promote the scenery, culture, and people of Cao Bang, as well as Ban Gioc Waterfall, to domestic and international visitors.

It also features an exhibition displaying and introducing products, specialities, and dishes from the province as well as sporting activities, folk games, and chestnut picking.

Ban Gioc Waterfall is located within the Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark, which was recognized as a global geopark by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council in 2018. It is home to various species of flora and fauna and provides insight into more than 500 million years of Earth history.

Nearly 227,000 tourists, domestic and foreign, visited the falls in the first nine months of this year.