Elephants escorted the ‘Durian Queen’ at the inaugural Dak Lak Durian Festival in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, which runs from August 15 to September 2. The festival is being held in several durian-growing areas across the highland province, including Buon Ma Thuot Ward, Krong Pac Commune, and Tuy Hoa Ward.
The procession, which featured artisans, residents, and tourists, was part of the festival’s activities in Ea Knuec Commune. Two elephants led the procession, carrying the ‘Durian Queen’ through the crowd.
Thousands of people joined the procession, and many visitors took photos of the elephants moving through the crowd and traditional performances. The appearance of the Central Highlands elephants at the durian festival created a distinctive cultural highlight.
Gong performances, drums, and music filled the festival grounds among stalls displaying durians and other agricultural products. The festival also included street art performances, stilt-walking shows, and a durian market showcasing local agricultural and cultural products.
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Ngo Thi Minh Trinh, secretary of the Ea Knuec Commune Party Committee, said the commune included elephants in the procession to connect an iconic cultural symbol of the Central Highlands with durian, an agricultural product that has generated significant economic value for local residents.
Elephants have been associated with Central Highland people in work, wartime, and tourism, Trinh said. Their presence at the festival would help introduce a distinctive cultural value of Dak Lak to visitors.
Following the procession, artisans performed the traditional Ede abundance ritual — a ceremonial prayer for favorable weather, a bountiful harvest, community solidarity, and thriving livelihoods.
Ea Knuec currently has more than 5,000 hectares of durian orchards, with this year’s output estimated at over 70,000 metric tons worth around VND4 trillion. They intend to present the fruit beyond its economic value by incorporating durian into traditional cultural activities.
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The festival continued with a culinary showcase of 102 durian dishes, a parade of 500 pickup trucks, durian auctions, farm-experience tours, and the outdoor show ‘Memory of the Longhouse.’
The combination of elephants, gong culture, and the Ede abundance ritual makes durian part of a broader story about the land, people, and community life of the Central Highlands.
The festival is being held in Buon Ma Thuot Ward, Krong Pac Commune, Tuy Hoa Ward and several other durian-growing areas across the highland province.