A biennial celebration of flowers will return to Central Highlands Dalat City next month to kick off a lineup of cultural activities marking the 1000th anniversary of Hanoi in 2010.

The Dalat Flower Festival 2010, themed “Dalat – The town of thousands of flowers,” will take place from January 1 to 4.

Initially scheduled for December 19-23 this year, the event was delayed until next month to coincide with activities marking Hanoi’s 1,000-year anniversary as the capital of Vietnam.

Flowers of all varieties and installation arts will cover local streets, tourist attractions and 13 old colonial styled villas in Dalat, the tourism hot spot in the region, which is known by the nicknames, “the city of flower” or “Le Petit Paris.”

An art installation made of flowers in the shape of a bronze drum will play as the centerpiece of a flower arranging contest to be held on the city’s Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street.

The festival will feature a wide variety of flowers and trees across Vietnam and foreign countries, including China, Japan and the Netherlands, at the Dalat Flower Park on the northern bank of the Xuan Huong Lake.

Visitors to the city can also take part a number of sport events, including a mountain climbing competition to conquer the Lang Bian mountain range with its highest peak at latitude of 2,169 meters above sea level, an open golf tournament and a festival for double bike riders.

A trade fair and a workshop focusing on Dalat-grown flowers will also take place during the festival to promote the city’s key export products, according to the provincial authorities' website.

The four-day event also introduces a Dalat wine festival where visitors will have a chance to enjoy the renowned local delicacy free of charge.

The festival has been co-organized by the Lam Dong provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the city’s People’s Committee with a total budget of VND15 billion (US$812,127).

This year’s festival, the third of its kind in Dalat, is expected to attract 300,000 visitors to the Central Highlands town.

Dalat, known for its mild climate, is considered a production center for a wide variety of vegetables, fruit and flowers.

The city’s flower exports generate about US$20 to $30 million a year.

Youth Newspaper