(VOVworld)- A day of Vietnamese ethnic culture was celebrated in mid April at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism on the outskirts of Hanoi. The festival, the 8th of its kind, helped to preserve the national culture and enrich the people’s spiritual life.
At a cultural space belonging to the San Chay ethnic group, the sorcerers and other participants are animatedly performing the Tac Xinh dance of Cau Mua (Praying for good harvest) festival, a national intangible heritage. This is the highlight of this year’s Day of Vietnamese ethnic culture.
In the cheerful ambience, hundreds of village elders, hamlet chiefs, and artisans representing ethnic groups such as the Kho Mu in Dien Bien, and Khmer in Soc Trang…, are presenting their typical traditions, forging closer ties and unity among Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups. There are a variety of events, ranging from the Coming of Age ceremonies of the Ede to the Jumping over the Bonfire festival to the Longevity Wishing ritual of the Dao. Visitors experience the spiritual uniqueness, and the enchanting dancing and singing. Nguyen Minh Tam, a tourist from Nghe An province, shares his view: “Attending the festival, we get to know the best things from the ethnic groups. We hope that they preserve and develop their cultural uniqueness, which will be seen by domestic and foreign friends. This effort will create unity in Vietnam’s rich culture.”
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There were a variety of culture and sports programs including folk games, stick pushing games, and displays of ethnic products and food stalls. Participant Bui Thi Lan Phuong of the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh province said: “We bring our specialties to this beloved Muong house: gongs, brocade items and folk games. Our foods are especially enjoyed by tourists. The organizing board of the festival has brought ethnic groups closer to each other and strengthened the unity and bond among us so as to build up Vietnam’s identities”.
The first Day of Vietnamese ethnic culture was held in 2009. Lam Van Khang, Deputy Head of the Management Board of the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, said: “We always create conditions for ethnic people to take part in activities and art programs. That ‘s both their and our wishes”.
At the festival, ethnic people from all over Vietnam learned from each other and became more aware of preserving traditions and creating new cultural values