The mountainous northern province of Tuyen Quang on February 17organised the Long Tong festival, a typical cultural feature of the Tayethnic people in the north.
The Long Tong festival,which represents “going to the fields”, starts on the eighth day of thefirst lunar month. It reflects local people's desire for good crops andhealth.
The ceremony involves solemn ritualsin honour of local spirits to thank them for the crops and to ask fortheir support so local people can enjoy favourable weather conditionsand have a comfortable and happy life in the New Year.
The event also features diverse folk games including ‘nem con’ (a gamein which boys and girls throw cloth balls) and tug-of-war.
Addressing the event, Director of the Tuyen Quang Provincial Culture,Sports and Tourism Department Nguyen Viet Thanh said the Long Tongfestival is part of the Tay ethnic people’s life and reflects theirwish for favourable weather conditions and good crops, which is the mostimportant thing of the wet rice civilisation.
Alsoat the event, the Tay ethnic group’s Then singing rituals wererecognised as part of the national intangible heritage.
Then singing, which reflects the daily activities and expresses theemotions of working people, is a distinctive musical genre of the Taycommunities. Then singing is practised by the Tay people in Chiem Hoa,Na Hang and Lam Binh districts.
On December 27,2012, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism added Then singingrituals to the national intangible cultural heritage list.
The government has also agreed in principle with Tuyen Quangprovince’s proposal to compile a dossier of Then singing in order toseek UNESCO recognition as part of the world intangible culturalheritage.-VNA
The Long Tong festival,which represents “going to the fields”, starts on the eighth day of thefirst lunar month. It reflects local people's desire for good crops andhealth.
The ceremony involves solemn ritualsin honour of local spirits to thank them for the crops and to ask fortheir support so local people can enjoy favourable weather conditionsand have a comfortable and happy life in the New Year.
The event also features diverse folk games including ‘nem con’ (a gamein which boys and girls throw cloth balls) and tug-of-war.
Addressing the event, Director of the Tuyen Quang Provincial Culture,Sports and Tourism Department Nguyen Viet Thanh said the Long Tongfestival is part of the Tay ethnic people’s life and reflects theirwish for favourable weather conditions and good crops, which is the mostimportant thing of the wet rice civilisation.
Alsoat the event, the Tay ethnic group’s Then singing rituals wererecognised as part of the national intangible heritage.
Then singing, which reflects the daily activities and expresses theemotions of working people, is a distinctive musical genre of the Taycommunities. Then singing is practised by the Tay people in Chiem Hoa,Na Hang and Lam Binh districts.
On December 27,2012, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism added Then singingrituals to the national intangible cultural heritage list.
The government has also agreed in principle with Tuyen Quangprovince’s proposal to compile a dossier of Then singing in order toseek UNESCO recognition as part of the world intangible culturalheritage.-VNA
