Gong festival and sunflower week begin in Vietnam’s Central Highlands
Alongside Jrai cultural traditions, the programme features local product exhibitions, coffee culture, sport and folk games.
The Gong Festival and Chu Dang Ya Volcano - Wild Sunflower Week have opened in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, with activities running from October 30 to November 8. Taking place in Bien Ho Commune and Pleiku Ward, the celebrations support National Tourism Year - Gia Lai 2026.
Organisers said the annual gathering, staged below the extinct Chu Dang Ya volcano, seeks to strengthen tourism and highlight ethnic minority communities’ cultural identity. It also showcases the Central Highlands’ gong culture space, which has UNESCO recognition.
The programme includes exhibitions showcasing goods from Vietnam’s One Commune One Product programme, alongside a space devoted to coffee culture. Sports and folk games are also on the schedule.
At the opening, Trinh Van Sang, chairman of Bien Ho Commune’s administration, drew attention to Bien Ho freshwater lake, the volcano, tea hills, century-old pine forests and ethnic villages. The area’s Jrai community has preserved gong music, xoang dancing and traditional festivals across generations.
