The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is hosting a series of cultural activities to mark its 20 years of operation. In spotlight are two performances of "vi giam" folk singing by artists from the central province of Ha Tinh. Vi giam are the ninth Vietnamese cultural practice to receive UNESCO’s intangible heritage status. These folk songs are often sung with the accents of people in the Nghe An and Ha Tinh regions. It reflects the work, cultural life and feelings of the locals in the central coastal provinces. “I have listened to these folk songs for many times but this is the first time I have listened to them live on the stage. They’re so impressive,” said Le Thi Thuy, a spectator to the show. She said she hoped more programmes will be organised so that folk songs can reach more youngsters. Meanwhile, artisan Thanh Minh said that how to sing folk songs to help foreigners understand Vietnam’s cultural values is the point. As part of the museum’s activities, a book on museology and the exhibiting methods of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology was released on November 12. Especially, an exhibition ‘Elephant in the Central Highlands’ will take place on November 25. On the next day, the Mnong people from the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak will present their handicraft, traditional arts and singing.

The museum will host an international conference on religion and the identity of different world communities on December 1-4.-VNA