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Yen Bai is situated 183km from Hanoi. It is located in the northern-central part
of Vietnam. Yen Bai’s main source of income is agriculture and its related
products, it is also driven by farming and forestry. The location of Yen Bai
makes it an integral part of transport in the northwestern area of Vietnam. As a
transport hub, Yen Bai provides easy access to
Lao Cai, Son La,
Lai Chau, Phu
Tho, and Tuyen Quang. Yen Bai is also a booming tourist destination, locally and
internationally.
Yen Bai is a mountainous province with plenty of lush forests, and two main
rivers namely the Hong and Chay River. The province is primarily powered by the
Thac Ba Hydropower Plant, which is a major energy generator located near the
vicinity of the Chay River. The power plant was built in 1964 to 1971 with help
from the Soviet Union. The province is also home to
Thac Ba Lake which is fast
becoming a prime tourist destination, and is one of three biggest man-made lakes
in the country.
Annually, the Yen Bai Provincial People’s prepares the province for the Thac Ba
Discovery Festival, with support from surrounding provinces Lao Cai and Phu Tho.
The festival is held near the Thac Ba Hydroelectric Power Plant. Festival goers
usually visit the lake and participate in the boat race held by the lake. There
is also a celebration in the villages that showcase the various ethnic groups, a
costume show, trade fair, sports activities, and art contests.
There are a plethora of ethnic groups in Yen Bai, but the Kinh group is the
largest ethnic group in the province. The Kinh people migrated to Yen Bai years
ago and are now living harmoniously with the H’Mong and Muong Lo.
Dai Cai and Dong Cuong are two renowned temples found in the province. The
festivals are celebrated at different times of the year, these festivals are
important to the locals. The festivals are Muong Lo Cultural week, Dong Cuong
Temple Festival, Nam Cuong Temple Festival, Suoi Giang Panpipes Festival, Mong
Ehtnic Cultural Festival, and the Grapefruit Flower Festival. |
