Con Son-Kiep Bac Spring Festival 2017 takes place from February 12-19(Source: VNA)
HaiDuong (VNA) - The ConSon-Kiep Bac Spring Festival 2017 kicked off in the northern province of HaiDuong on February 12 or the 16th day of the first lunar month.
Taking place from February 12-19, the annualfestival aims to commemorate the 683th death anniversary of monk Huyen Quang,who was the third founder of the Truc Lam Zen sect.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chairmanof the provincial People’s Committee Luong Van Cau highlighted the historical significanceof the national heritage site Con Son-Kiep Bac and the great contributions ofthe Truc Lam Zen sect and monk Huyen Quang to the national construction anddefence.
Also at the ceremony, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh and local officials cuta ribbon to inaugurate a nine-storey octagonal tower “Cuu Pham Lien Hoa” in thesite, which is 10.3metre in height.
The work contributes to preserving and upholding the cultural values of the relicsite.
Earlier the same day, a water procession from ConSon Lake to Con Son pagoda drew the participation of hundreds of people. As animportant ritual in the Con Son-Kiep Bac festival, it aimed to praise the unityof the community and pray for bumper crop.
Covering a total area of eight hectares in ChiLinh district, the Con Son-Kiep Bac historical site is entwined with the lifeand cause of general Tran Hung Dao, the Supreme Commander of Vietnam during theTran Dynasty. It was also where UNESCO’s Great Man of Culture of the World,Nguyen Trai (1380-1442), one of Vietnam’s most famous poets and writers, lived.
The site was a defence line built at the end ofthe 14th century to protect the Thang Long Imperial Citadel. It witnessedimportant battles between the Tran Dynasty army and the Yuan-Mongol invaders inthe 14th and 15th centuries.
Con Son, surrounded by pine trees, saw the pure and upright life of Nguyen Trai(1380-1442), one of Vietnam’s most famous poets and writers.
Con Son-Kiep Bac was recognised as a nationalheritage site in 1962 and a special national heritage site in 2012. TheMinistry of Culture, Sports and Tourism named the Spring Festival a nationalintangible cultural heritage one year later.-VNA
The Con Son-Kiep Bac Autumn Festival 2015 held from September 22-October 2 welcomed over 20,000 local and foreign visitors, according to the Con Son-Kiep Bac relic management board.
The Con Son-Kiep Bac 2016 Spring Festival will officially open in the northern province of Hai Duong on February 23 (the 16th day of the first lunar month).
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 cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Con Son-Kiep Bac Spring Festival 2017 takes place from February 12-19(Source: VNA) 
