The festival is held annually to welcome the spring and to honor ethnic communities' identity, promote solidarity among them and offer a traditional festive atmosphere to tourists as well. Some 100 representatives of 15 ethnic groups from 13 localities throughout the country will host activities each day during the month. The festival climax will be on February 11 and 12 with the Kate Festival of the Cham group, tree planting, folk cham do ho singing and performing Xoe Thai - a UNESCO recognized intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The Kate Festival is one of the biggest and most unique cultural activities of the Cham. It features a host of activities and ceremonies at ancient towers, with traditions including offerings to ancestors, musical performances, and the signing of hymns praising kings who were prominent in the building and development of the Champa Kingdom and the Cham people. Tree planting has become an annual Vietnamese custom each lunar New Year since … [Read more...] about Spring festival to showcase cultural identities
Wee sing fun n folk
Long Tong Festival in Bang Van commune
The festival is held to thank the god for abundant crop and happy life in the past year and pray for peace and health in the new year. Long Tong Festival is annually held on the 14th and 15th day of the first lunar month. During the event, tourists to Bang Van listen to the story related to the origin of the festival. It is said that a long time ago, the country was in turmoil, so the king sent a general to this land to drive away the enemy. Thanks to the assistance of his talented wife, wherever the general went, the enemy troops were defeated. One day when the general was chasing the enemy’s troops, he was ambushed by them at Phja Den Mountain. His wife tried to hold back the enemy at Phja Cong Mountain. The general then blindfolded his horse and jumped off Phja Den Mountain. Having heard of the news about her husband’s death, the woman committed suicide at Phja Cong Mountain. Sympathizing with the fate of the general and his wife, local people set up a temple on Phja Den … [Read more...] about Long Tong Festival in Bang Van commune
Hoi An’s full moon festival named intangible heritage
The festival celebrates the full moon of the first lunar month of the year. The city’s Center for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation confirmed the certificate was handed over on February 5, marking the fifth national intangible heritage after Thanh Chau bird's nest, Thanh Ha pottery village, carpentry of Kim Bong village and Tra Que vegetable garden. The center said the festival was a major event in a series of cultural and ritual activities among local people held during the first lunar month. Local people often prepare for the festival from the seventh day of the month with ancestor worship and praying for peace at the communal houses of Cam Pho, Ong Voi, Japanese Bridge, Ong and Ba Pagoda and Minh Huong communal house, as well as the Fujian and Jiao Zhou clubs. A night parade will take place in the Old Quarter with lanterns and a poet recital at Cam Pho communal house as well as folk games at Kazik Park on February 4-6. Pagodas and communal houses will be open … [Read more...] about Hoi An’s full moon festival named intangible heritage