The Week of ‘National Great National Solidarity – Vietnam Cultural Heritage’ is an important cultural event that aims to honor Vietnamese cultural identity (Photo: VOV)
(VOVworld) – Vietnam Cultural Heritage Week themed “Great National Solidarity – Vietnam Cultural Heritage” features the diverse cultural identities of ethnic groups across the country. The event, which concluded last Sunday, left a good impression on domestic and foreign visitors and the locals as well.
The National Great Solidarity-Vietnamese Cultural Heritage Week covered a wide range of activities including an exhibition of Vietnamese kites and kite flying techniques, folk music shows reproducing well-known floating markets of the Mekong River Delta, and ethnic markets in the northern mountain region. Organizers also introduced the Bay Nui ox race, the Ok Om Bok festival of the Khmer people, and the Cam Muong festival of the Muong ethnic group.
The week-long event was attended by village patriarchs and artisans of 17 ethnic groups from 13 provinces and cities and about 400 regional representatives.
A highlands folk sculpture camp attended by 49 artists from Gia Lai, Dak Lak, and Kon Tum provinces began the week. 180 wood sculptures were carved and finished by artisans of the Xo Dang, Ba Na, Jrai, Gie Trieng, Brau, and Ro Mam groups to express the spiritual, cultural, artistic, and practical activities of ethnic people.
Phan Van Hoang, an official of Kon Tum province’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Department, said the camp honored the traditional wood sculpture of ethnic groups in Kon Tum province and the Central Highlands and was also an acknowledgement of efforts by ethnic people there to preserve and develop traditional values. Hoang noted: “To protect forests, Central Highlanders use the wood of industrial crop forests as a replacement without sacrificing their traditional art. The wooden statues of ethnic groups in Kon Tum and the surrounding region are closely linked to their daily lives. Typical statues depict women carrying papooses on their back and highland men going hunting.”
An ethnic girl is displaying how to make brocade weaving (Photo: VOV) |
Ethnic groups from various regions brought to the great solidarity festival their own cultural values. The Nang Hai festival to pray for bumper crops and good fortune reflected the folk beliefs of the Tay people in the northern mountain province of Cao Bang. The Cam Muong festival featuring folk games of the Lu people in Lai Chau province and the Xip Xi or New Year Festival of the Thai people in the northwestern region express love and respect for village founders. Vang Thi Mai, a Hmong from Quan Ba district in Ha Giang province, shared her feeling: “At the festival, I feel that people from the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam are brothers who can meet, share experience, and learn from each other under a common roof. We want to introduce to other groups our most typical cultural characteristics. I think this kind of festival should be held regularly and involve every ethnic group in the country.”
The Bay Nui ox race of An Giang province is recreated at the cultural week
The cultural week gave people an opportunity to observe customs which were nearly lost but have recently been restored. Lam Van Khang, Deputy Director of the Management Board of Vietnam Culture Tourism Village of Dong Mo, said the event helped to revive the vitality of these customs and traditional festival. Khang said: “We believe all activities were successful. The recreation of the floating markets of the southern region, and the Bay Nui ox race of An Giang province attracted numerous visitors. All goods on display at the southern floating market were sold on the very first market-day. More than 10,000 people attended the Bay Nui ox race.”
The National Great Solidarity-Vietnamese Cultural Heritage Week is an annual event honoring national unity and promoting Vietnam and its 54 diverse but united ethnic groups.