Since 2022, the Border Sim Flower Festival has been officially organized, linked with community tourism development activities in Hai Son commune. This not only contributes to promoting the sacred land where soldiers and local people serve as living landmarks of Vietnamese culture on the border of the Fatherland, but also involves the local people in community tourism activities, increasing their income and improving their lives. At the same time, this is an activity for Mong Cai to further concretize and implement programs and plans to develop tourism into a key economic sector and develop the Tra Co - Mong Cai national tourist area in Quang Ninh.
Hai Son boasts stunning landscapes and unique values such as: the Po Hen National Historical Site, the vibrant mural village amidst the Northeast mountains, the 72-chamber waterfall and Trang Vinh lake, Panai Mountain, Ma Thau Son, Sim Hill, and many distinctive traditional cultural and artistic features, unique culinary arts, and unique folk games of the local ethnic minorities. In recent years, thanks to the attention of the Party and the State, and the diligent and hardworking spirit of the people, the material and spiritual lives of the people of Hai Son have changed dramatically. They are actively developing the economy, including tourism and services. And the Border Sim Flower Festival, held four times, has further provided opportunities for local people to participate in tourism-related economic activities and quickly improve tourism services in a professional and modern direction, while still retaining the unique characteristics and promoting the cultural identity of the ethnic minority region, creating a distinctive and outstanding mark in the Mong Cai tourism journey.
At the Border Sim Flower Festival, visitors will be immersed in unique and rich cultural activities reflecting the ethnic identity, participate in community tourism experiences, and especially have the opportunity to enjoy specialty dishes of the Dao and San Chi ethnic minorities in the highlands such as: Khau nhuc (braised pork belly), chicken, duck, goose meat, pickled vegetables, salted persimmons with ginger, fermented soybeans, salted radish...; traditional cakes such as: humpback sticky rice cake, long sticky rice cake, ash cake, three-colored rice...
Activities aim to preserve, promote, honor, introduce, and publicize the images, potential advantages, and exploit the unique traditional cultural values of the ethnic groups in Mong Cai city in general, and the People's Committee of Hai Son commune and other mountainous border communes in particular; to attract tourists to visit and experience, create jobs, and increase income for the people.
Each year, this festival attracts tens of thousands of locals and tourists, affirming the value of a new tourism product associated with the development of spiritual tourism, experiential tourism, and community tourism in Hai Son commune. It contributes to preserving and promoting the unique cultural values of ethnic minorities, creating jobs, and increasing income for the people through tourism.
More specifically, the 2025 Border Sim Flower Festival features a highly anticipated highlight: the Mong Cai Half Marathon, attracting thousands of athletes from all over the country. Athletes will have the unique opportunity to admire the vibrant purple sim flower hills, participate in distinctive cultural activities such as folk games, women's football, a local market, highland cuisine (hill chicken, stream fish, local pork, five-colored sticky rice, etc.), and experience the cultural spaces of various ethnic groups, local product displays, and many other exciting surprises. The Sim Flower Festival is a meeting point of emotions – where nature, sports, and culture converge, opening up an energetic and unique journey of discovery in Mong Cai. The Mong Cai Half Marathon 2025 will officially take place on May 17-18, 2025, within the framework of the Border Sim Flower Festival – an unmissable event for those who love running, nature, and Vietnamese culture.
Currently, preparations for the 2025 Border Sim Flower Festival are being rushed to completion, ensuring the most thorough and impressive event possible. With favorable weather conditions, the sim flower hills here are ablaze with the loyal purple blossoms, inviting visitors with the heartfelt anticipation of the local people.
Although the main festival hasn't arrived yet, Hai Son has already welcomed a large number of tourists these days. Capturing memorable photos amidst the purple blossoms of the sim flower, breathing in the fresh mountain air, taking in the breathtaking beauty of the sacred and majestic border region, and enjoying incredibly delicious food… what could be better than a trip to Hai Son?
“The purple hues of the borderlands, connecting heritage” – The Border Sim Flower Festival – a tourism “brand” of the sacred and majestic border region, is ready to welcome visitors on May 17-18, 2025.
Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/hap-dan-le-hoi-hoa-sim-bien-gioi-tu-17-18-5-3357678.html
