HÀ NỘI — Various cultural activities dedicated to children will take place at the National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, Sơn Tây Town, Hà Nội in July, according to Nguyễn Thanh Sơn, head of the village’s management board.

"As students are on their summer holidays, we have designed a wide range of cultural and entertainment activities to keep them entertained," he said.

"We want to give kids the chance to relax and learn more about ethnic culture at the same time."

As part of the programme, children visiting the village will have the opportunity to learn about the daily life, traditional crafts, cultural practices and signature dishes of Việt Nam’s ethnic groups across the country, including the Tày, Mường, Dao, Tà Ôi, Cơ Tu, Ê Đê, Khmer and Thái groups.

They will also be invited to take part in folk games, such as còn (cloth ball) throwing, stick pushing, walking on stilts and sack races; or enjoy thrilling circus programmes, as well as competing in a children’s painting contest themed Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) In My Heart, which is scheduled on July 16-17.

The painting contest will continue in August. The awards ceremony and exhibition of excellent artworks will take place on September 1.

Participants will visit spaces of the Central Highlands ethnic people at the National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism to find inspiration for their art. Sơn said it’s a chance for them to learn more about the culture, traditional homes, lifestyle and costumes of the ethnic groups living in the Central Highlands region.

Notably, children aged between eight and 15 can register for a free training course on experiencing Buddhist monastic life. During the two-day course on July 21-22, participants will learn about meditation, Buddhist rituals and Buddha’s teachings on humanism and being a well behaved child.

Market stall from rural areas will be opened on July 27-29. This is expected to introduce kids to traditional handicrafts, folk games and cuisine.

Folk songs and dances, gong performances and concerts of traditional musical instruments will also be staged, to the delight of visitors, during the event.

Participants will join ethnic people in their traditional activities such as making pottery with the Chăm people, cooking the colourful glutinous rice of the Thái people and making a quát (cake of love) of the Tà Ôi people. — VNS