(VOVworld)-The 2017  Buon Ma Thuot coffee festival opened  in the central highlands province of Dak Lak on Wednesday  to promote the trademark of local coffee.

The coffee festival is being held together with a central highlands gong festival and a trade promotion conference. Nguyen Hai Ninh, Vice Chairman of the Dak Lak provincial People’s Committee, said:

“The festival aims to promote Buon Ma Thuot coffee and the central highlands gong space and attract investment to Dak Lak and the entire central highlands region. This distinguishes the 2017 festival from previous events ”.

A photo exhibition celebrating Buon Ma Thuot coffee is one of the first activities of the 2017  Buon Ma Thuot coffee festival

800 artisans, performers, and farmers are participating in the festival, which features carnivals, elephant and boat races, and farming competitions. 20,000 coupons for free coffee at 32 cafés in Buon Ma Thuot city are offered to visitors. Festival organizers said more than 230 coffee businesses are showcasing their products.

The gong festival will feature gong performances, ritual re-enactments, and a wood sculpture competition. The biennial Buon Ma Thuot coffee festival has been recognized by the Vietnamese Government as a national festival.  The central highlands’ space of gong culture was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.