2018 Gong Cultural Festival slated for mid-November
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has instructed the People’s Committee of the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai to work with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and relevant agencies to organise the 2018 Gong Cultural Festival.
The opening ceremony of 2017 Gong Cultural Festival (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime MinisterNguyen Xuan Phuc has instructed the People’s Committee of the Central Highlandsprovince of Gia Lai to work wi♓th the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST)and relevant agencies to organise the 2018 Gong Cultural Fe♈stival.
The festival is scheduled to take place inthis year’s mid-November in the province, with the unity of local ethniccommunities as its main theme. The Gia Lai People’s Committee has beentasked to efficiently utilise social sources along with part of the province’scoffer to organise the festival. Numerous activities will be jointly held byfive Central Highlands provinces, namely a street festival featuring gongperformances, re-enactment of some traditional rituals and festivals of 11ethnic groups of the region. The art of wood sculpture and brocadeweaving will also be introduced during the festival, along with seminars on theconservation of gong cultural values and exhibitions on ethnic costumes. The event is to honour the Cultural Spaceof Gong of Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) in line with an action plan of theMCST to preserve and promote the gong cultural heritage in the province. The Cultural Space of Gong of Tay Nguyen wasrecognised by the UNESCO as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritageof the humanity in 2005. It is closely linked to the daily life of localpeople. Their belief systems form a mystical world where the gongs produce aprivileged language between men, divinities and the supernatural world.-VNA
The Central Highland province of Gia Lai is making every effort to preserve and promote the cultural space of its famous gongs, which were recognised by UNESCO as an intangible and oral masterpiece of human culture in 2006.
More than 300 gong artisans from ethnic minority groups across the Central Highland province of Lam Dong will join together in a gong culture festival in Lac Duong district on April 29-30.
Exchanging two buffalos for a gong set is a vivid example of how the intangible heritage has effectively been preserved in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai.
The ambassador noted that among the 300,000 Vietnamese residing in the RoK, around 3,000 are living in Pyeongtaek and contributing actively to the local economy. Ho expressed his hope that the local authorities will continue support the overseas Vietnamese community in the city.
This is the first time since the adoption of the Convention that a country has served two consecutive terms on the Committee. The outcome shows the trust and recognition that member states have given Vietnam for its efforts and achievements in carrying out and promoting the Convention, as well as for its active role, strong standing, and growing credibility at UNESCO.
Quang Duc pottery is known for its wide range of forms, including wine bottles, jars, lime pots, vases, plant pots, incense burners and candle stands. Decorative motifs are equally rich, featuring mythical creatures, pastoral scenes, floral patterns, deer, peacocks, bats and more.
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The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The opening ceremony of 2017 Gong Cultural Festival (Photo: VNA) 
