Highlands fest presents folk culture

Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Pham Thi Trung said this at a press conference last week.

She said a part of the cultural space in the Central Highlands region will be presented at the festival for the first time, with the participation of 400 artisans from five Central Highland provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Dak Nong, besides Lam Dong.

She said the festival would present the folk culture of ethnic groups living in the region, gong dances, costume shows and cuisine, besides tourism promotions, photo exhibition and a conference on investment and promotion of high-tech farms.

“All performances and activities will be done by ethnic groups, by recreating an ancient culture that has existed for a long time in the region. We will depict just a part of huge cultural treasure at the festival,” Trung said.

Local sculptors will participate in a workshop to create wood sculptures. There will also be events on gong-tuning customs, worshiping ritual, besides the art of the Ba Na, Xo Dang, Gia Rai and Gie Trieng ethnic groups.

Tourists and visitors can interact with artisans and learn crafts at a communal house during the five-day festival.

A familiarisation trip will be held for travel agencies from HCM City and neighbouring provinces to promote home-stay services and the landscape in Kon Tum.

The Culture Space of the Gongs in the Central Highlands region has been recognized as an intangible heritage by UNESCO.