A workshop on culture and sustainable development in the CentralHighlands was held in the southern central province of Phu Yen onNovember 11.

Participants emphasised the diverse and uniqueculture of the Central Highlands, such as the space of gong culture,costumes and festivals.

However, they noted that many unique cultural characteristics of the region are being undermined.

Anumber of researchers attributed this to the destruction of forests andthe failure of schools to teach students about Central Highlandsculture.

In addition, many residents of the Central Highlandshave sold their gongs and looms, and restructured their modes ofproduction due to economic hardship. This is having a detrimental impacton the culture.

Furthermore, demographic changes havealso affected the Central Highlands culture, currently only 23.5 percentof the population are originally from the Central Highlands.

Workshopparticipants suggested authorised agencies adopt measures to preserveand develop the Central Highlands culture, protect and expand forests,and educate the younger generation on the region’s culture.

The Central Highlands region, which comprises the five provinces ofDak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum, is home to stunningmythical landscapes and a significant population of diverse ethnicminorities and cultures.

In particular, the region’s space ofgong culture was recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritageof Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.-VNA