(VOVWORLD) - A series of cultural activities took place in Hanoi last week featuring the distinctive cultures of ethnic groups across the country. Vietnam’s unique community traditions and customs were re-enacted at the event, contributing to promoting national unity.
 An ethnic minority performance at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Hanoi’s Son Tay district. |
As many as 200 people representing 14 ethnic minority groups in Vietnam joined in various activities at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Hanoi’s Son Tay district last week. The program is part of the Week for Consolidating the People and Vietnamese Culture Heritage.
Participants brought to the event their diverse community practices including the Forest God Worshipping Ceremony of the Pu Peo people, who live mostly in the northern mountainous province Ha Giang. The Pu Peo believe gods are everywhere, in every mountain and every hamlet, but worship the forest gods most fervently since the forest is the most sacred place for them. They pray to express their gratitude to heaven, earth, the gods, and their ancestors for blessing them with peace. The ceremony was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in late 2012.
Folk songs, dances, cuisine, and traditional customs of the ethnic groups were also on show, including performances on traditional musical instruments like Ting Ning and Central Highlands gongs.
"The event’s diverse activities are aimed at introducing Vietnam’s unique culture and customs to visitors. They can experience some community practices of ethnic groups living in traditional villages. Such activities will give them a better understanding of Vietnam’s ethnic culture and encourage them to protect and promote such values," said Trinh Ngoc Chung, Deputy Head of the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism’s Management Board.
Y Sinh, a Xo Dang ethnic community member who lives at the Village told VOV: "I’m in charge of introducing Xo Dang ethnic group’s unique cultural practices, folk dances and musical instruments including To-rung, and Klong-put. I also took part in some performances of my group during the week-long event. We all understand that it’s necessary to introduce the ethnic culture to the younger generations to better protect and promote it."
The festival also featured an event themed “Journey to Ben Tre coconut land” to popularize the land and people of the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre through performances of folk songs and dances as well as the province’s specialties made from coconut.