Within the framework of the 2026 Ban Flower Festival, from March 7 to March 8, many lively sports activities took place at Phieng Loi Village, Dien Bien Phu Ward, attracting a large number of athletes, local residents and visitors to participate and cheer.

Teams competed enthusiastically in the tug-of-war event at the Phieng Loi Village ground.

This year’s competition program included various events such as pounding sticky rice cakes (banh day), tug-of-war, bicycle portage pushing with ammunition loads, artillery pulling and corn grinding. Participants included officials, civil servants, public employees, workers, armed forces soldiers, pupils, students and ethnic residents who were living, working and studying at provincial departments, agencies, organizations, armed forces units, communes, wards, schools, tourism enterprises, cultural tourism villages and clubs across the province.

On the afternoon of March 7, the tug-of-war competition took place at the Phieng Loi Village ground in an enthusiastic and lively atmosphere. Seventeen teams from provincial departments, sectors, localities and units competed with great determination, bringing many exciting matches that demonstrated solidarity and collective strength.

On March 8, competitions continued with events such as bicycle portage pushing with ammunition loads, artillery pulling, pounding sticky rice cakes and corn grinding. These events continued to receive enthusiastic participation from officials, civil servants, public employees, workers, armed forces soldiers, pupils, students and ethnic residents living, studying and working in the province.

The artillery-pulling competition recreated the spirit of solidarity and the resilient will of soldiers and civilians during the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.

Athletes participated in the bicycle portage pushing with ammunition loads competition at the 2026 Ban Flower Festival.

The competitions were closely associated with the labor activities and historical traditions of ethnic communities in Dien Bien. Typical examples included the bicycle portage pushing with ammunition loads and artillery-pulling events, which recreated the spirit of unity and resilience of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians during the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, while the pounding sticky rice cake and corn grinding events reflected distinctive cultural practices of highland ethnic communities.

Teams participated in the sticky rice cake pounding competition, reflecting the traditional culture of highland ethnic communities.

The corn grinding competition attracted many athletes and spectators.

The Organizing Committee awarded prizes to the best teams in the artillery-pulling event.

These sports activities were organized to celebrate the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam; to look toward the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term; and to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Vietnam Sports Day (March 27, 1946 – March 27, 2026). The activities also continued to promote the movement “All People Exercise Following the Example of Great Uncle Ho,” encouraging grassroots sports movements while preserving and promoting traditional ethnic sports and folk games.

Sports activities at the Ban Flower Festival attracted a large number of residents and visitors to watch and cheer.

Cultural and sports activities at the festival contributed to spreading the image of Dien Bien as a friendly land rich in cultural identity.

Through these sports activities, the spirit of exchange and solidarity among units and localities was strengthened, creating a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere among ethnic communities, while promoting the image of Dien Bien as a friendly land rich in cultural identity to visitors from both within the country and abroad.

At the conclusion of the competitions, the Organizing Committee awarded First, Second and Third prizes to teams achieving outstanding results in each event. The sports activities contributed to creating a vibrant and attractive atmosphere, further enriching the series of events at the 2026 Ban Flower Festival./.

Dienbien.gov.vn