On the morning of April 18, the square at the Dongzhong Port in Dongzhong Town, Fangcheng District, was filled with the sounds of drums and music, creating a jubilant atmosphere at the border. The event, titled "Friendship Overflowing at the Border: China-Vietnam Joint Celebration of the 'March 3' Festival" – part of the 2026 "Guangxi March 3·Bagui Carnival" – and the Fangcheng (Dongzhong) China-Vietnam Border Residents' Gala, kicked off splendidly. Border residents and tourists from China's Fangcheng District and Vietnam's Hoanh Mo commune gathered together to celebrate and strengthen neighborly bonds.
At 9:30 a.m., the China-Vietnam Top Spinning Friendship Competition began. Folk top-spinning masters from Dongzhong Town, Fangcheng District, and Hoanh Mo commune, Vietnam, competed on the same stage. The contestants focused their energy, swinging their arms to spin the tops, which whirled rapidly across the field. The crisp sound of whips intertwined with cheers from the watching crowd. "We hope that through this China-Vietnam top spinning competition, more people will come to know and appreciate the Dongzhong chopping-block top," said Huang Zhengxiong, captain of the Dongzhong Town top-spinning team.
Simultaneously, intangible cultural heritage displays and China-Vietnam folk custom performances transformed the Dongzhong Port square into a vibrant "folk custom museum." The traditional costumes of Chinese and Vietnamese ethnic minorities on display were colorful and intricately patterned. The ethereal sounds of the Tianqin lute and the lively rhythm of the bamboo pole dance captivated visitors, who enthusiastically participated and enjoyed themselves.
At 10:00 a.m. sharp, the China-Vietnam cultural performance officially commenced. Art troupes from both countries shared the stage, presenting a wonderful program of song, dance, instrumental music, and intangible cultural heritage skills. Vietnamese folk dances were graceful and elegant, showcasing exotic charm, while the China-Vietnam ethnic costume show and intangible cultural heritage tea-picking opera performances were uniquely imbued with border characteristics, highlighting local flavors. Applause and cheers resonated throughout the venue. The performance concluded with actors and audience members from both nations singing "China-Vietnam" together. The moving melody embodied the profound "comrades-plus-brothers" friendship between the two countries, further deepening cultural exchanges among border residents.
At the border residents' gala, stalls for the Fangcheng District characteristic agricultural products production and marketing activity attracted many visitors who stopped to inquire, sample, and purchase. The event brought together high-quality agricultural enterprises from the district, showcasing and selling featured and renowned local products while facilitating connections between producers and sellers. The wide variety of distinctive products on display fully demonstrated Fangcheng District's unique ecological advantages of "sea, border, and mountains" and the achievements of its agricultural industry.
Also launched vibrantly at the Dongzhong Port square was the 2026 Fangcheng District "March 3" Cross-Border Bazaar consumption promotion event, under the theme "Visit Guangxi for Spring Vacation, Enjoy the 'March 3' Festival with Ease." The event featured an array of quality goods from ASEAN countries alongside concentrated displays of local specialty products. Exhibition areas also promoted products like cars, mobile phones, and tablet computers, supplemented by multiple benefits such as combined "national subsidies + postal subsidies," payment discounts for spending thresholds, and credit card promotions. This allowed residents and tourists to enjoy great value right at their doorstep, fully unleashing border consumption potential and composing a new chapter in the integration of China-Vietnam economic, trade, and cultural ties.
A large-scale free medical consultation was also held at the event. Medical experts provided on-site diagnoses, offering convenient services like health consultations, common illness treatments, and health guidance to Chinese and Vietnamese border residents and passing tourists. This initiative delivered tangible health benefits to the people and, through practical action, brought border residents closer together, enhancing neighborly friendship.
The event also incorporated AI cultural tourism elements, with the clever integration of technology and culture injecting new vitality into the "March 3" festival. Concurrently, the "China-Vietnam Hearts United, Reading Together" youth book-sharing exchange, the "Planting Trees of Friendship, Building a Green Dream Together" China-Vietnam youth tree-planting activity, and the China (Dongzhong) – Vietnam (Hoanh Mo) folk football friendly match were held enthusiastically at the Dongzhong External Cultural Exchange Center, Dongzhong Port, and the Bandian Village football field in Dongzhong Town, respectively. Through reading, tree planting, and football, the youth of China and Vietnam built a solid platform for cultural exchange, promoting mutual understanding and deepening friendship between the young people of both nations.
This China-Vietnam Border Residents' Gala, using intangible cultural heritage as a bridge, arts as a medium, and technology as wings, fully showcased the profound cultural heritage and friendly neighborly ties of the China-Vietnam border area, adding a splendid border dimension to the "Guangxi March 3·Bagui Carnival."
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