A gong performance by local ethnic people in Nam Giang District, Quảng Nam Province. — Photo qrt.vn

QUẢNG NAM — The Gong Echo Festival – one of the most important celebrations of ethnic communities in the central region of Việt Nam – is taking place in the central province of Quảng Nam's Nam Giang District.

With the theme of Nam Giang – Lung Linh Sắc Màu Văn Hóa (Nam Giang – Shimmering Cultural Colours), the sixth-edition festival, which is held every two years, aims to preserve the unique cultural identity of ethnic communities such as Cơ Tu, Ve and Tà Riềng, at the same time as promoting tourism development in the region, the local authority has said.

The two-day event involves the participation of 12 art troupes with 800 artists from 12 communes and towns from across the district, according to the People's Committee of Nam Giang [the district government].

Speaking at an opening ceremony on Tuesday night, the Chairman of the district's People's Committee, A Viết Sơn, confirmed the festival is a fitting way to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values ​​of the ethnic peoples in the area.

"It aims to boost the implementation of a campaign themed 'All people unite to build a cultural life', arousing aspirations, trust, national pride, self-reliance in socio-economic development," Sơn said.

The festival will introduce the province and its heritage to visitors at home and from abroad, showing the potential and strengths of cultural and tourism development of Nam Giang in the process of innovation and global integration, he added.

The festival will help discover new cultural and artistic talents for the district's plan on developing cultural activities at grassroots levels. It will also boost training and improve professional qualifications and supplement more artists for participating in festivals to be held at provincial and regional level, as well as nationwide, according to the district authorities.

A performance by girls and boys of Cơ Tu ethnic minority group. Many cultural activities, especially performances by ethnic people will be held during the sixth Gong Echo Festival. — Photo namgiang.quangnam.gov.vn

Highlights of the event will be performances of gongs by local outstanding players along with a majestic gong concert featuring the beautiful landscape of mountains and forests in the region.

In addition to the music, there will be other cultural activities, including a traditional culinary competition, a space for displaying historical and cultural artefacts and typical local products, along with artisans showing off ancient crafts of bamboo knitting, handloom weaving and sculpture.

There will be a costume model competition of ethnic minorities and spiritual practices such as the land-offering ceremony and traditional wedding ceremonies of the Cơ Tu and the Ve, the 'new rice' celebration of theTà Riềng.

Attending the Gong Eco Festival, visitors will also have a chance to immerse in the wild and majestic traditional cultural space of the mountains and forests.

Many ethnic groups live along the Trường Sơn Range and on the legendary Hồ Chí Minh Trail through Quảng Nam Province.

Culturally, the district is recognised as a brilliant, 'multi-coloured picture' of traditional beauties. It is also a convergence of typical but extremely rich and diverse in form and content cultural features expressed through the tangible and intangible values. — VNS