PRESERVING CULTURE - The Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) province of Gia Lai’s People’s Committee is launching a project to preserve and promote its gong culture by 2025. VNA/VNS Photo by Hồng Điệp

GIA LAI — The People's Committee of the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) province of Gia Lai has approved a project to preserve and promote its gong culture by 2025.

The project, costing VNĐ16.4 billion (US$689,300), aims to raise people’s awareness of protecting ethnic minorities’ cultural values and heritage, boost economic development and improve local people’s living standards.

Under the project, local authorities will conduct research on the number of gongs and gong artisans and performers in the province.

According to statistics in 2020, Gia Lai has the largest gong collection among the five Central Highlands provinces, with more than 5,600 sets of gongs, including 930 rare sets. It has also more than 900 gong artisans, but only 60 of them are able to tune the gongs.

The project also focuses on the renovation of the cultural space of gongs at local community houses, and a space showcasing artefacts, documents and photos of gong culture in Tây Nguyên, particularly in Gia Lai.

The restoration of traditional rituals and ceremonies of ethnic minority groups in the province are mentioned in the project as well.

More classes on playing gongs, singing folk songs, and dancing will be offered at schools and community houses to educate young generations about heritage preservation.

IMPORTANT TRADITION - Classes on playing gongs are organised as a way to educate young generations about heritage preservation. —VNA/VNS Photo by Hồng Điệp

The province plans to bring the Central Highlands Gong Cultural Festival back. It is expected to be held every two years, along with seminars and photos exhibitions on practicing gong in the community.

In the last event in 2018, the festival offered performances from over 1,000 gong artisans and performers of 25 art troupes from five Central Highlands provinces. Local rituals and specialties were featured as well.

The gong culture in Tây Nguyên was recognised as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritages of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.

Gong is an indispensable element in most rituals, ceremonies and festivals of the community in Central Highlands.

It is believed that it can produce a language that can help connect humans to the supernatural world.

Gong also symbolises wealth and health. — VNS.