KON TUM – A series of activities promoting the culture and heritage of ethnic minority groups in the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) region will be held in Kon Tum Province next month.

The 2024 Kon Tum Culture and Tourism Week will honour gong culture, which was recognised as a Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.

The event will also highlight xoang, a traditional community dance performed by ethnic groups living in the Central Highlands

More than 1,000 gong artisans and performers from the province will participate in a street carnival around Kon Tum City. They will perform traditional music, dance, and costumes of ethnic groups.

Several performances of gong and xoang dance will be presented at the Kon Klor Communal House in the city.

Visitors will have an opportunity to meet and perform together with local artisans, listen to their experiences on the preservation and promotion of gong culture, and learn about traditional rituals of communities.

The festival will include a tourism promotion seminar to introduce its new destinations and tours, along with a cuisine competition at the Indochine Hotel.

The event will also set up a photo exhibition having the theme of “Sắc màu văn hóa các dân tộc Kon Tum” (The culture of ethnic minorities in Kon Tum), and a trade fair to showcase local signature handicrafts, OCOP (One Commune One Product) items, cultural and tourism products, and food at the March 16 Square in Kon Tum City.

In addition, the province will host several sports and cultural activities in the districts of Tu Mơ Răng, Đăk Tô, and Kon Plông.

Phan Văn Hoàng, deputy director of the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said 2024 Kon Tum Culture and Tourism Week aims to preserve and promote unique cultural traits of ethnic  groups, contributing to introducing the province’s potential, economic development, culture and tourism to visitors in the country and abroad.

The festival will take place from December 11-14. – VNS