Visitors flock to the Saigontourist Group 2025 Food and Culture Festival

Saigontourist Group's 2025 Food and Drink Culture Festival opens to serve visitors from 3pm to 10pm and takes place continuously every day from March 27-30 at Van Thanh Tourist Area (48/10 Dien Bien Phu, Binh Thanh District). This is not just a simple culinary event, but the festival also recreates the space of old Saigon with floating markets, traditional craft villages and gathers more than 600 special dishes from the 3 regions of North - Central - South.

Visitors enter the gate after getting off at Van Thanh Park metro station.

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

Tourists take photos at the main gate of Van Thanh Tourist Area before entering to experience the Saigontourist Group 2025 Food and Culture Festival

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

Country market space

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

Right from the entrance, visitors are attracted by the space imbued with traditional culture. Bamboo gates decorated with conical hats and lanterns, combined with miniatures of the Western floating market, create a scene that is both familiar and nostalgic. Along the way, images of street vendors, artisans making figurines, weaving brocade, weaving bamboo and rattan... make many visitors excited to stop and take photos.

In addition to traditional dishes representing the three regions of North - Central - South, the festival also features many delicious dishes from 4-5 star hotels and resorts belonging to the Saigontourist Group system. In particular, the vegetarian food area attracts many visitors with light, healthy dishes.

Floating market space with boats carrying fruits and food

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

Local specialties and regional dishes stalls at the festival

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

One of the most special highlights of this year’s festival is the floating market area. Small boats loaded with fruits, cakes, and specialties of the West float on the water, creating a lively scene as if lost in the river region. Visitors can experience the feeling of shopping right on the boat, tasting fresh fruits as well as local specialties.

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

Visitors enjoy the food at the festival

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

Not only cuisine, the festival is also an opportunity for visitors to enjoy traditional art performances. During the 4 days of the event, a series of performances such as water puppetry, quan ho singing, cai luong, and don ca tai tu took place on the main stage and in small corners of the festival grounds. In addition, the performance "Colors of the Central Highlands" with the bustling sound of gongs and graceful xoang dance also captivated visitors.

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

Watch traditional art performances

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

At the festival, the traditional craft village area attracts a large number of visitors with booths making conical hats, figurines, rice paper, gai leaf cakes, coconut cakes, and other handicraft products. Contributing to enriching the festival is the area of ​​folk games such as tug of war, stilt walking, and bamboo dancing. This is not only a playground for children but also attracts adults who want to relive their childhood memories.

The outdoor dining space in the evening at the festival is very cool

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

Many visitors after experiencing the festival could not hide their excitement and impression. Bringing her two young children to this festival, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh (35 years old), residing in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, said: "Today, the three of us tried many delicious dishes, the prices were generally reasonable. Not only did we experience eating and drinking but we also enjoyed the bustling festival atmosphere, so I think through this experience, my children will understand more about the culinary culture in regions across the country. Personally, I feel that this is a festival with investment in both space and content. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is bustling, and the performances are extremely attractive."

Foreign tourists come to the festival

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

As a tourist from Russia, Ms. Victoria (67 years old), shared: "This is the first time I have come to Ho Chi Minh City and I am lucky to experience a very grand food festival. I feel like I am lost in a miniature cultural space of Vietnam. Today, I have tried many dishes and found them all delicious, but I especially like the bamboo rice with grilled meat, which is wonderful. After returning home, I will tell my friends and relatives about the wonderful festival in Vietnam. I love Vietnam!".

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khach-nuom-nuop-den-voi-le-hoi-van-hoa-am-thuc-mon-ngon-saigontourist-group-2025-185250328125257982.htm