(VOVworld) - Hanoi residents were treated to colorful performances and exhibitions last week featuring the cultures of northwestern Vietnam. Entitled "The Colors of the Northwestern Region", the show included a wide range of activities such as cultural and artistic exchanges, fashion shows and traditional folk games of people from Son La, Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, and Yen Bai province.. Lan Anh reports….

A northwestern atmosphere was created using bauhinia, water-wheels, dug-outs, houses on stilts of the Thai ethnic minority, stone fences, maize mills and the hotpots of the H’Mong people. Each participating province had its own space at the Exhibition Center for Culture and Arts in Hanoi where it introduced the province’s unique cultural values through architecture, customs, festivals, musical instruments, and costumes.

Children found it very interesting exploring ethnic cultures and lifestyles

Lo Thi Ban of the black Thai ethnic minority sang part of an ancient Thai song on demand for exhibition visitors. After listening to Ban’s singing, visitors reached the display booth of Lai Chau province where they explored the culture of the white Thai ethnic people through unique brocade weaving products and replicas of their production activities and lifestyles. In this booth, costumes and musical instruments of the Lao ethnic people of Lai Chau province’s Tam Duong district attracted a lot of attention. Lao ethnic Quang Van Nam introduced a his musical instrument called a Pi: "We often play music using this instrument. With the Pi, we can express our feelings through music. I’ve played the Pi since I was just 15 and have mastered it. Many people have tried to play the Pi and failed because this instrument has many notes. Different notes are played depending on whether the singer is a woman or a man."
Nguyen Van Dien, deputy director of the Lai Chau provincial department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, says the Pi is the pride of the Lao ethnic people in Lai Chau. He said: "Musical instruments of ethnic peoples in Vietnam’s northwestern region are very diverse. The Pi of the Lao ethnic people is one. The Pi is played for festivals, romantic occasions, and big events of the ethnic minority. Lao ethnic people are the masters of this unique musical instrument."
Visiting the booth of Lao Cai province, visitors were treated to beautiful pictures of spring in Lao Cai, mountain market sessions, and festivals. Dien Bien province introduced its socio-economic achievements over the past years together with replicas featuring their production activities, lifestyles, traditional games and musical instruments. Yen Bai province displayed its specialty, Suoi Giang honey tea, and wonderful photos of the marvelous terraced fields in Mu Cang Chai. Deputy director of the Yen Bai provincial department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Le Xuan Dinh, said: "At this festival, Yen Bai province introduced its unique horse hotpot and traditional crafts of forging and weaving. We selected the best tangible and intangible cultural features of our province for this exhibition. This is really a wonderful chance to introduce to Hanoi people the diverse cultures of different ethnic peoples in Vietnam’s northwestern region."
A student at the University of Theatre and Cinema, Ho Anh Tu, said the exhibition helps the audience understand their national culture. Tu said: "At this exhibition, I learned more about ethnic minority people’s daily activities, how they dress and live together as well as their architecture. I think there should be more occasions like this, where people can learn more about their fellow countrymen from different localities nationwide and not be like a fish out of water on their first visit to Son La or Hoa Binh province."
The program portrayed a northwestern region that was heroic during war time and resilient during the country’s renewal process. Visitor Mac Cong Minh told us: "The people of the northwestern region are wonderful. They are industrious in work and unyielding in their struggles against enemies. I am a war veteran and I hope there are more exhibitions and exchanges like this to narrow the gap between the mountain and lowland regions of Vietnam."

Lan Anh