The festival, themed “Resonance of Heritage – Connecting the Future,” will highlight the “Southeast Asia Gong Harmony Night” on December 20 at Lam Vien Square in Da Lat, said Nguyen Van Loc, Director of the Lam Dong Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, at a press briefing on November 23.

The evening programme will bring together artisan teams from Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Quang Ngai, Phu Tho, and Lam Dong provinces, along with five international delegations from Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Over 200 artists and performers are expected to participate, promising a grand regional musical experience, he said.

Composer Le Minh Son, the festival’s artistic advisor and general director, emphasised that both local audiences and visitors will experience the most authentic sounds of the Central Highlands.

“This will be an interactive event where the audience engages with the performers. The gong and drum sounds will resonate naturally without pre-recorded amplification, creating a powerful, immersive experience. It is truly a remarkable festival for Lam Dong and the international community alike,” he said.

The festival plans to set two records - the largest gong performance combined with artistic displays, and the musical piece with the most performers using gongs.

T

he programme also includes dynamic activities such as traditional brocade fashion shows, the Global Coffee Heritage Festival 2025, an international coffee conference, cultural experiences like the “Coffee Train – Heritage Journey,” and the “Global Coffee Heritage Trail,” culminating in a New Year’s Eve concert welcoming 2026. In addition, Lam Dong will host the first Gong Club Festival, celebrating local and regional musical traditions.

The festival is held on the special occasion marking 20 years since the Central Highlands Gong Cultural Space was recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and the 20th anniversary of Vietnam’s Cultural Heritage Day.

“The festival aims to honor the unique value of the Central Highlands Gong Cultural Space while affirming the province’s responsibility in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of ethnic communities,” said Loc, director of the Lam Dong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Young OVs explore homeland’s gong culture

More than 100 young overseas Vietnamese (OVs) from 31 countries and territories immerse themselves in the resonance of traditional gongs in the central province of Dak Lak on July 15 as part of the ongoing Vietnam Summer Camp 2025 held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese (SCOV).