DEVELOPING TOURISM - The Tây Nguyên (central highlands) province of Kon Tum is working with neighbouring provinces and cities to develop its tourism. Photo courtesy of Kon Tum Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

KON TUM — The 2024 Kon Tum Culture and Tourism Week in the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) province of Kon Tum has opened with theme “Trải Nghiệm Văn Hoá- Khám Phá Thiên Nhiên” (Feeling Culture - Discovering Nature). 

The opening ceremony took place in the 16/3 Square in downtown Kon Tum City.   

More than 1,000 amateur and professional performers, coming from art clubs and troupes in the region, performed on Nguyễn Huệ and Trần Phú streets. 

The artists offered traditional songs, music and dance pieces in praise of the country, life and love. 

The week features a wide range of activities to promote the culture and tourism of Tây Nguyên.

One of its highlight events is the 2nd Gongs Culture Festival of Ethnic Minority Groups, which began yesterday. 

The two-day 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.

Many villagers from ethnic minority groups in Kon Tum will perform cồng chiêng (gongs), a traditional musical instrument of Tây Nguyên, which was recognised as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.

They introduce their traditional values to visitors through their art. 

KON TUM FESTIVAL - The 2024 Kon Tum Culture, Sports and Tourism Week in Kon Tum Province opens on December 11. It includes a range of tourism, trade and entertainment activities to lure domestic and foreign visitors. Photo courtesy of Kon Tum Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Cồng instruments produce a single, uniform sound, while chiêng are flat and offer a wider range of notes. Different sizes of gongs are characterised by family names: mother, father, and older sister.

Cồng chiêng can be drummed by hand or with a cloth-covered stick.

The instruments appear in most of the rituals and ceremonies of ethnic minorities in Tây Nguyên. They are not only musical but also serve a cultural function for about 20 ethnic minorities. 

As part of the week, folk games, cooking and sports competitions are also included. Many stalls and food courts display farm specialties, local handcrafts, and traditional dishes. 

Phan Văn Hoàng, deputy director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and also a member of the week’s organising board, said Kon Tum Culture and Tourism Week 2024 will help to promote the economy and tourism of Kon Tum. “Our event is aimed at boosting cooperation in trade and tourism with other Tây Nguyên provinces and developing tourism as well as trade and services.”

With more than 55 per cent of Kon Tum’s population made up of ethnic minorities, the province has launched a series of activities and publicity promoting ethnic heritage, such as gong culture, handloom weaving, and traditional festivals. 

The province is working to develop community-based tourism as a key task of the local tourism sector.

It has 14 community-based tourism villages and tourism sites where visitors can enjoy beautiful natural landscapes and learn about the culture and lifestyle of ethnic groups.

The province attracted 2.4 million visitors in the first 10 months of this year, a rise of over 105 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.

Kon Tum Culture and Tourism Week 2024 will close on Saturday (December 14).—VNS