Gongs are an important part of daily life among the ethnic communities in the Central Highlands. VNA/VNS Photo Khoa Chương

GIA LAI Culture and Tourism Week of the central province of Gia Lai will be held from November 11-19, featuring a wide range of activities to promote the culture and tourism of the Central Highlands.

According to Tạ Quang Đông, deputy culture and tourism minister and also art director and chief director of the programme, the event honours the value of the cultural space of gongs in the region, which has been recognised as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by the UN culture agency UNESCO.

This is also an opportunity for Central Highlands ethnic groups to meet and learn from each other's experience in conserving, promoting and disseminating the gong culture space, he said.

The opening ceremony of Gia Lai Culture and Tourism Week 2023 will take place at Đại Đoàn Kết Square in downtown Pleiku City.

The highlight of the event will be the ceremony to receive the Special National Heritage Certificate for the Rộc Tưng Gò Đá archaeological site and the declaration of the collection of An Khê ancient stone tools as a national treasure.

The highlight of the week is the Gia Lai Gong Culture Festival to be held November 11-12.

As part of the Gia Lai Culture and Tourism Week, there will also be a trade fair showcasing the province's distinctive agricultural produce. About 250 booths will introduce local handicrafts, farm specialties, culinary delights and tourism-related products.

Many other sports and cultural activities will be held within the week, including Tree Marigold - Chư Đang Ya Volcano Week and Gia Lai Trail 2023 - The Dream of the Great Mountains running race.

Meanwhile, a traditional wooden boat race on the Pô Cô and the Ia Grai District’s gong culture festival will take place in Ia O Commune, Ia Grai District, from November 16-18.

According to Nguyễn Thị Thanh Lịch, vice chairwoman of the People's Committee of Gia Lai Province, as many as 1,000 artisans from five Central Highlands provinces will participate in this year’s event.

"We are determined to create a truly remarkable, fresh and impactful Gia Lai Culture and Tourism Week 2023," she said. VNS