Gong-performing groups from Gia Lai and across the country will perform at Gong Festival and Wild Sunflower – Chư Đang Ya Volcano Week 2026. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Điệp

GIA LAI — A gong festival and wild sunflower week will bring the cultural heritage of the Central Highlands to life against the golden hillsides of Chư Đang Ya, an extinct volcano millions of years old,

The festival will take place in Pleiku Ward, Biển Hồ Commune and neighbouring areas from October 30 to November 8, attracting delegations from 10 provinces and cities nationwide, alongside 29 gong-performing groups from Gia Lai.

The event is expected to bring together 1,487 artisans, including 1,207 from the province’s Bahnar, Jrai, H’rê, Chăm Hroi and Ê Đê ethnic communities and 280 from the 10 participating localities.

From October 30 to November 1, activities in Biển Hồ Commune will include the opening ceremony, the introduction of a community-based tourism product in Ia Nueng Village, the Gia Lai City Trail – Dream of the Great Forest 2026 race, and performances featuring traditional music and instruments.

Visitors will also have opportunities to explore local customs through a re-enactment of the ceremony marking the completion of a new communal house, a market showcasing local products and an exhibition on Gia Lai’s gong cultural space in Ia Gri Village.

A street festival featuring gong performances, traditional instruments and ethnic cultural displays will take place on November 6 along several streets in Pleiku, Diên Hồng and Hội Phú wards.

The main highlight will be the gong gala, scheduled for 8pm on November 7 at Đại Đoàn Kết Square in Pleiku Ward. The programme will bring together participating gong groups from across the country and be broadcast live on various TV channels.

From November 6 to 8, the province will host further cultural exchanges among ethnic communities, alongside displays of local cuisine, tourism products, agricultural specialities and coffee. Traditional cultural artefacts will also be exhibited at Pleiku Museum.

A visitor poses with wild sunflowers. — Photo vtv.vn

A photography and video competition celebrating the festival and its surrounding landscapes will run from October through December, extending the event’s promotional reach and encouraging visitors to discover Gia Lai’s cultural heritage and natural attractions.

In Gia Lai, gongs are closely associated with the spiritual and communal lives of the Ba Na, Jrai and other ethnic communities. They feature prominently in festivals, rituals and community gatherings, serving as a means of cultural expression and a link between generations.

The Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on November 25, 2005.

Chư Đang Ya, an extinct volcano rising about 500 metres above sea level, is a major attraction in Gia Lai. — Photo Tour Du Lịch Tây Nguyên Facebook

Chư Đang Ya, an extinct volcano rising about 500 metres above sea level, is a major attraction in the province. Surrounded by lush greenery, the volcano changes its appearance with the seasons, drawing visitors in November when wild sunflowers bloom across its slopes and along surrounding roads. It was named among Việt Nam’s top 10 most attractive destinations and the world’s 10 most beautiful volcanic craters in 2018.

The annual Wild Sunflower – Chư Đang Ya Volcano Week has been held in the Ia Gri Village area of Biển Hồ Commune since 2017, helping promote the landscape and the traditional culture of local Jrai communities.— VNS