Ha Giang highlights ethnic minority culture
The fascinating cultures of 22 ethnic minority groups in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang will be featured at the fifth Ha Giang Ethnic Cultural Festival to be held from August 20-22, coinciding with the province's 120th anniversary.
The home of 22 ethnic minority groups, Ha Giang is imbued with diverse cultural identities that are highlighted at the annual cultural and sports festival.
The following is an interview with Nguyen Trung Thuong, head of the Ha Giang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, by a Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) reporter.
Reporter: Could you please tell us something about the fifth Ha Giang Ethnic Cultural Festival?
Mr Thuong: The festival is one of the biggest cultural events in Ha Giang and this year it is held on the occasion of the province's 120th anniversary.
120 artisans from 11 districts in the province will take part in the festival which includes special cultural activities such as a traditional costume show, folklore performances, a folk song contest, traditional games and an exhibition on socio-economic achievements.
The festival aims to honour the outstanding cultural values of different ethnic minorities, uphold the tradition of patriotism, and strengthen solidarity to improve people’s material and spiritual lives. It provides an opportunity for ethnic groups to share their cultures and experiences in preserving and promoting their traditions, as well as introducing ethnic cultures and traditional festivals to visitors.
Through the festival, Ha Giang hopes to work out a strategy for preserving and promoting cultural heritage while reviving traditional activities that are gradually falling into oblivion.
Reporter: What is your assessment of this festival in terms of organization and content compared to the previous ones?
Mr Thuong: This fifth festival will involve 22 ethnic minorities living in the province. Each group will bring their own culture to the festival, which also includes a general inventory of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of province's ethnic groups.
Among the featured cultural events will be a Mong pan-pipe (Khen Mong) festival scheduled on August 21 in Dong Van district, aiming to explore, preserve and develop the musical instruments of the Mong ethnic group through performances such as playing pan-pipe music and dancing.
Another goal of the Khen Mong festival is to develop various Khen Mong arts to boost tourism in Ha Giang, particularly Dong Van.
During the fifth Ha Giang Cultural Festival, there will also be an international trade fair promoting jobs for ethnic people. The fair will involve businesses from China’s Hunan province and display both domestic and foreign products.
Reporter: What is the highlight of this year's festival?
Mr Thuong: The highlight will be a performance of dances and songs celebrating the 120th anniversary of Ha Giang on August 20, giving the audience a flashback of the province's development over the past 120 years.
Reporter: Thank you very much.