Arunachal Pradesh hosts the first Sunrise festival

On 29 December 2025 to 2 January 2026 , Arunachal Pradesh will host the first Sunrise Festival of its kind in the Dong village , Anjaw district . The easternmost village of India, Dong, is known to have seen the first rays of the sun every day in the country. The mission of the event is to demonstrate the cultural diversity of the state, eco-tourism, and the adventure potential of the region.

Dong Village: the First Sunrise Point in India.

Dong is located at the tri-junction of India, China, and Myanmar at 1,240 metres above sea level . Its special geography causes it to witness sunrise every day in India. The village provides stunning natural scenery as well as the knowledge about the tribal culture. There is also enhanced connectivity as Dong can be reached by road in Tezu and Dibrugarh airports and Tinsukia railway station in Assam.

Features and Activities in the Festival.

The 5 day Sunrise Festival is matched with the New Year festivities. Tourists will enjoy an adventure sports mixture of eco-tourism , culture and ethnic food . There will be traditional dances, crafts and lifestyle displays presented by local tribal communities. Nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts will be attracted to trekking, camping and guided nature trail.

Boost to Tourism

The festival was proclaimed by Chief Minister Pema Khandu to give Dong a special tourism destination brand name. The project is part of the greater tourism strategy in Arunachal, the government has been keen on diversifying the tourist experiences of the destination other than Tawang and Ziro. The government is using Dong sunrise identity to lure both domestic and international travellers to the area, generating employment and entrepreneurial activities in the area.

Connection and Network.

The air connectivity upgrades in the recent past under the UDAN system have made the accessibility of Anjaw and other remote districts more possible. Greater transport accessibility to the Northeast airports by the key cities in India will actually boost the number of visitors during the festival or even later. The increased connectivity also facilitates the local business and cultural exchange.

Strategic and Economic means.

The idea of a border location of Dong provides an additional strategic value. Infrastructure development in tourism in this case does not only contribute to economic development locally but also to the development of the border areas and security presence . The Sunrise Festival is therefore a cultural festival and a development project as it represents how remote places could play a role in developing Arunachal Pradesh.