Published:  11:17 Wednesday - December 28, 2016

The 2016 sunflower festival, the first of its kind, officially opened in the central province of Nghe An on December 25.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Chairman of the Nghe An provincial People's Committee Le Minh Thong said the event is destined to help spur on the local tourism industry’s development by attracting more visitors to raise income for locals.

The festival also featured a festive day designated for ethnic minority groups living in the mountainous areas of Nghe An, he noted.

The festival is scheduled to run until January 5.

The sunflowers were first sowed in Nghia Dan district in 2010 by TH True Milk, a Vietnamese dairy producer, to feed its cows. Years later, the field has gained fame among youngsters for its unique beauty.

For the festival this year, Nghe An has doubled cultivation areas to nearly 60ha, giving visitors more space to enjoy the sunflowers in full bloom as well as organized a beauty contest, opened souvenir shops and will hold a range of folk games.

The field becomes a hot rendezvous site in late November, when the flowers are in full bloom and are at their largest size. According to the field managers, blooming season arrived later this year, as sowing was delayed by 20 days.