The players were artisans and students of eight art troupes from districts, towns and boarding schools for ethnic minority students in the province.

The competition was an opportunity for local ethnic groups to exchange experience in restoring, preserving and developing their traditional cultural values in the Central Highlands.

Over the past two years, Dak Nong has spent VND5.6 billion on a project to restore the gong culture, purchased and presented 100 sets of gongs to ethnic minority people. It has regularly organised gong competitions at communal, district and provincial levels and taught the art of playing gongs and other musical instruments at provincial boarding schools.