Some of the best: A performance of Ca Hue, a brilliant folk genre from the region. — VNS Photo Phuoc Buu

THUA THIEN-HUE (VNS) — Fourteen folk music troupes from the central provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue gathered in Hue City to showcase 64 performances during a folk music festival this weekend.

Phan Tien Dung, the director of the local Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said the festival aims to promote unique forms of folk music and helps in the preservation of traditional music, which has been threatened by the popularity of modern art forms.

The festival offers an opportunity to folk artists to exchange knowledge and train young performers, including vocalists and traditional musical instrument players.

"Among the 360 artists attending the festival, the eldest is 84 years old, while the youngest is just seven. This provides an ideal platform to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and performing skills from the latest generation to newcomers of the art forms," he reiterated.

Shows at the festival included solo and group performances, featuring the distinctive tunes and melodies of each locality.

Nine out of the 14 troupes were not trained and were farmers and local people who love folk music. At the festival, they showcased performances featuring their daily routines related to farming and the joys of normal life.

Ca Hue, a unique art form developed by feudal mandarin families during the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945), was performed at the festival as one of the most professional forms of the region's folk music. — VNS