Pema Khandu inaugurates Sunrise Festival in Dong for sustainable tourism

Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu launched the 5-day Sunrise Festival in Dong Valley. The event aims to boost sustainable tourism and local entrepreneurship, with a long-term vision of growth based on a 'leave no trace' principle.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday inaugurated the five-day Sunrise Festival at Dong Valley in Anjaw district, highlighting its potential to promote sustainable tourism and boost local entrepreneurship. Declared open the 5-day Sun Rise Festival at Dong. Conceived with a long-term vision, the festival is expected to create meaningful opportunities for local entrepreneurs, encourage sustainable tourism, and help small businesses flourish. A decade from now, the goal is to see this… pic.twitter.com/uD3u7IsDRC — Pema Khandu པདྨ་མཁའ་འགྲོ་། (@PemaKhanduBJP) December 29, 2025

CM Highlights Festival's Long-Term Vision

Sharing details in a post on X, the Chief Minister said the festival has been conceived with a long-term vision to create meaningful livelihood opportunities for local communities while encouraging responsible tourism practices. "Declared open the 5-day Sunrise Festival at Dong. Conceived with a long-term vision, the festival is expected to create meaningful opportunities for local entrepreneurs, encourage sustainable tourism, and help small businesses flourish," Khandu said in the post.

He further added that the festival aims to grow steadily over the years while adhering strictly to the principle of 'leave no trash, leave no trace'. "A decade from now, the goal is to see this festival grow while strictly following the principle of 'leave no trash, leave no trace.' It holds immense potential for the Anjaw district and Arunachal Pradesh as a whole," he said.

Celebrating India's First Sunrise

The Sunrise Festival celebrates this unique identity by inviting the world to experience the first rays of the sun as they touch the Indian soil.

The Sunrise Festival 2025-26 is envisioned as a vibrant convergence of communities, artists, explorers, scholars, and travellers from across India and around the world, celebrating new beginnings from the land where the day begins for the nation.

The five-day festival marks a landmark initiative to position Arunachal Pradesh as a global destination for nature, culture, adventure, heritage, and New Year celebrations led by the sun.

The Significance of Dong Valley

Nestled in the remote Anjaw district at the tri-junction of India, China, and Myanmar, Dong holds immense geographical, cultural, and strategic significance.

Home to the indigenous Meyor tribe, a small, indigenous community of Arunachal Pradesh known for its simplicity and connection to nature, the Dong valley symbolises India's first dawn at the easternmost corner -both literally and metaphorically.

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