(VOVworld)- Great National Unity – Vietnamese Cultural Heritage Week is celebrated at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Hanoi. The event promotes the cultural values of Vietnam’s ethnic minority groups.

The “Thanksgiving” festival of the Gia Rai ethnic group in Gia Lai province and a wedding ceremony of the Tay of Thai Nguyen province were recreated on the first day of the festival. Those customs have been handed down through generations. Nguyen Thanh Van, a visitor from Thai Nguyen province, said: “At this event, I saw many festivals and customs of ethnic minority groups throughout Vietnam. This was a good opportunity for me to learn about other cultures.”

In the exhibition area of traditional houses, 120 village chiefs, patriarchs, and artisans showcased their traditional crafts - weaving brocade, making musical instruments and farming tools, and performing traditional songs and dances. There were also performances of drums and gongs of the Ba Na from Phu Yen province and the Klong-put instrument of the Se Dang from Kon Tum province. Ms Y Sinh of Kon Tum province said: “We introduced the Klongput musical instrument of the Sedan. We play the Klongput at ceremonies such as welcoming the new cultivation season, new crops and bringing water to the village, and during the national unity festival. We also play the T’rung musical instrument and sing folk songs of the Se Dang.”

Nguyen Dinh Loi, Deputy Head of the Management Board of the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism said Great National Unity Week, which this year inspired participation by Tay, Thai, Muong, Khmu, and Ba Na people is the meeting place for Vietnam’s cultural heritage: “This year, we organized gala nights to combine ethnic minority groups from many provinces with other groups  here. Such meetings unite people and encourage them to preserve and promote their cultures.”