Visitors to the festival can learn how to cook delicious dishes from different ethnic groups. Photo langvanhoavietnam.vn

HÀ NỘI - The Festival of Spring Colours is taking place at the Việt Nam Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism throughout February with a series of traditional cultural activities.

The festival is held annually to welcome the spring and to honour ethnic communities' identity, promote solidarity among them and offer a traditional festive atmosphere to tourists as well.

Some 100 representatives of 15 ethnic groups from 13 localities throughout the country will host activities each day during the month.

The festival climax will be on February 11 and 12 with the Katê Festival of the Chăm group, tree planting, folk chậm đò ho singing and performing Xòe Thái - a UNESCO recognised intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The Katê Festival is one of the biggest and most unique cultural activities of the Chăm. It features a host of activities and ceremonies at ancient towers, with traditions including offerings to ancestors, musical performances, and the signing of hymns praising kings who were prominent in the building and development of the Champa Kingdom and the Chăm people.

Tree planting has become an annual Vietnamese custom each Lunar New Year since President Hồ Chí Minh initiated the campaign, contributing to environmental protection, socio-economic development, and national defence and security.

Since then, tree planting has been practised whenever a lunar new year comes. It will take place over half an hour at the Thái ethnic village.

Some 60 Thái artists from the northern province of Sơn La will perform Xòe Thái. The dance expresses the solidarity, democracy and collectiveness of the Thái people.

The group dance xòe at spring festivals, crop festival and weddings, which has been considered a cultural symbol of the northwest region.

Xòe Thái performances will begin at 2.30pm on February 11 and 9.30 and 2.30pm on February 12.

There will be folk games, traditional dishes, typical delicacies of various ethnic groups and folk singing and dancing.

In addition, visitors to the festival can enjoy and learn how to cook delicious dishes and specialties and make traditional handicrafts of the groups.

The festival offers an opportunity for ethnic groups to meet and exchange cultural values and daily life activities. It also contributes to honouring and preserving the traditional culture of Vietnamese ethnic minorities.

The village is in Đồng Mô District, 45km to the west of Hà Nội’s centre. Bus No 107 runs from downtown Hà Nội to the village. - VNS