Excitement before the opening ceremony

The rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the Dien Bien National Tourism Year and the Hoa Ban Festival 2024 served as a major rehearsal for the official performance.

On the evening of March 14th, a rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the Dien Bien National Tourism Year and the Hoa Ban Festival 2024 took place at 7/5 Square. It must be said that never before has a rehearsal attracted such a large crowd of locals and tourists. 7/5 Square was packed with people; there was no space around the stage to even move… And when the music started, everyone was overwhelmed by the grand, captivating, and colorful artistic performance. Especially the artistic light show using drones to create images of the homeland and characteristic images of Dien Bien was a highlight that captivated the audience. This was the first time Dien Bien audiences had witnessed such a unique and dazzling artistic light show. Many expressed their delight and surprise at the images created by the light and the elaborate and meticulous work of each participating performer. The unique and captivating performances in the rehearsal made locals and tourists eagerly anticipate the opening ceremony...

To achieve such an impressive rehearsal, professional and amateur performers began practicing twice a day at the 7/5 Square in early March, despite the harsh weather of this westernmost region. Among them, over 400 amateur performers from the College of Education, the 82nd Regiment of the armed forces, and children actively rehearsed for the artistic program. The performers were divided into small groups for practice, then rehearsed the program on stage over the past week. Bui Phuong Thao, a student from the College of Education, shared: “The performances in the program require meticulous work; the movements are all very meaningful, and we need to try very hard. Therefore, for many days, we have been practicing diligently, regardless of the time or the hot weather. At this point, I am basically ready to contribute to the success of the program…”

Time was running out, so the artists and actors were all very serious.

With the theme "Returning to the Land of Hoa Ban Flowers," the art program guides the audience through the story of the tangible and intangible cultural values and unique tourism products of Vietnam and Dien Bien; spreading the message to friends and tourists, both domestic and international, about the history, culture, and tourism of Vietnam and the land and people of Dien Bien - Northwest Vietnam. The program was staged with high artistic quality, and the relatively short rehearsal time required considerable effort from the directors, choreographers, actors, and artists, contributing to a spectacular and successful art program for the evening.

People's Artist Nguyen Minh Thong, the program's general director, shared: "The closer it gets to the opening day, the more intense the rehearsal time becomes. Because the classes and sequences this time are very difficult, more difficult than before. We are using laser technology and LED screens to create a perfect overall effect with the actors and each detail. This year is the National Tourism Year, so the investment in intellectual resources, funding, and manpower is much greater than in previous years..."

The artists and actors are working hard to practice and perform, aiming for the success of the opening night.

As this is the National Tourism Year, a nationwide event not just limited to the annual Ban Flower Festival in Dien Bien, the artistic program and stage design this year have been completely revamped compared to previous years. Accordingly, the stage has been relocated to the lower part of the square, facing Vo Nguyen Giap Street. The overall stage features a large, central structure – symbolizing the Dien Bien Phu basin and the five-petaled Ban flower, with a circular center – serving as the main performance stage, measuring 20 meters in diameter and 70 centimeters in height. Smaller stages for supporting performances are located at the base of the five petals, connected by bridges to the central circular stage. The largest stage in the center creates a visually striking visual element for the audience.

This year, the grandstand area has also been improved to create the most favorable conditions for locals and tourists to fully enjoy the artistic program. Therefore, the grandstand for delegates is placed on a platform with a minimum height of 1.5 meters, with each three rows of seats raised by 40 cm, giving viewers a full view when observing the performers and stage activities. The long seating area (steel frame) for locals and tourists attending the opening ceremony is connected behind the delegate area and has a capacity of about 4,000 people… A high-end LED screen system covers the entire floor of the central circular stage with two layers of glass: LED images and tempered glass. In front of the central circular stage, there is a decorative wall with brocade patterns. At the same time, there is an LED system in the largest central flower-shaped area at the bottom of the stage; in the four side petals, there are circular LEDs shaped like flowers to convey images that support the main LED display with unique and rich visuals.

A drone performance creating an image of a bauhinia flower was also tested during the rehearsal night.

With such a magnificent stage, the construction by the event organizing company also required meticulous attention to detail and considerable time. Ms. Phung Thi Ngoc Phuong, General Director of Anh Son Group Joint Stock Company, said: “Constructing this stage requires patience, meticulousness, and time. Dien Bien has many events organized, and usually it only takes 5 days to a week for the construction of the various components. But as you can see, we spent much more time here. Our company's staff worked almost day and night. To date, the stage is 95% complete, the main components are in accordance with the design, and the decorations are still being finalized until just before the opening ceremony…”

Besides the rehearsal of the opening ceremony program, other tasks such as ensuring security, traffic management, power grid safety, and low-altitude fireworks displays have been meticulously prepared by the relevant units. All that remains is to await the opening ceremony. With the countdown underway, we are confident that with the utmost effort and focus of the entire team, the opening ceremony of the Dien Bien National Tourism Year and the Hoa Ban Festival 2024 will be a success, creating an impressive highlight showcasing the image of Dien Bien's land and people to domestic and international tourists.

To create this magnificent stage, the workers of Anh Son Group Joint Stock Company had to work hard for many days.

The opening ceremony of the Dien Bien National Tourism Year and the Hoa Ban Festival 2024 took place at 8:10 PM on March 16th at 7/5 Square, broadcast live on VTV1 of Vietnam Television, broadcast live on VOV1 of Vietnam Radio , and rebroadcast by Dien Bien Provincial Radio and Television Station.

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