(VOVworld)-Vietnam defines ethnicity affairs and national unity as being of strategic importance, said State President Tran Dai Quang at the opening ceremony of the 2017 “Spring colors throughout the country” festival in Hanoi on Saturday.

President Tran Dai Quang beats the drum, opening the 2017 “Spring colors throughout the country” festival.

President Quang noted that preferential policies have helped improve the living standards of ethnic people and preserve their culture.

“I hope that village partriarchs, religious dignitaries and influential figures will continue to encourage ethnic people to effectively implement policies on ethnicity. Special attention should be paid to educating the younger generation and preserving and upholding the cultural values of ethnic groups”, he emphasized.

President Tran Dai Quang joins “nem con”, a traditional game of the Thai people to pray for bumper crops, peace and health.

The festival will run until Sunday at the Culture and Tourism Village of Vietnam Ethnic Groups on the outskirts of Hanoi. Traditional customs of Vietnamese ethnic groups are featured at the village’s communal house with the participation of 190 village patriarchs, intellectuals, and artisans from 16 ethnic groups.