The 2026 Gong Festival and Chu Dang Ya Volcano – Wild Sunflower Week opened in Gia Lai Province on Friday. The festival will run for ten days.

The festival runs from October 30 to November 8 in Bien Ho Commune and Pleiku Ward. Its aim is to showcase the Central Highlands’ cultural heritage and to promote tourism during the National Tourism Year – Gia Lai 2026.

At the opening, Trinh Van Sang, chairman of Bien Ho Commune’s administration, pointed out the area’s natural sights. He mentioned Bien Ho lake, the extinct Chu Dang Ya volcano, rolling tea hills, century‑old pine forests and traditional ethnic villages.

Organizers said the event also promotes the cultural identity of ethnic minority communities. It supports the UNESCO‑recognized gong culture space of the Central Highlands.