Artists performed last night closing at the Thanh Hoa National Tourism Year 2015. — Photo thethaovanhoa.vn

HA NOI (VNS) — Amateur troupes from seven provinces are performing Vietnamese traditional art forms, recognised as world cultural non-intangible heritage by UNESCO, in Thanh Hoa Province.

The performances were organised last night at a ceremony that closed the Thanh Hoa–National Tourism Year 2015, the theme of which was Connecting World Heritage Sites in Viet Nam.

This is the first time all world cultural non-intangible heritage art forms in Viet Nam, such as nha nhac (court music), xoan song, quan ho (love duet song) and gong culture in the Central Highlands, besides ca tru (ceremonial song), were performed at the same place.

The art troupes are from Ha Noi, Thua Thien Hue, Bac Giang and Phu Tho, besides Kon Tum, Nghe An and Thanh Hoa. The performances will be held today and tomorrow at the Ho Dynasty Citadel in Vinh Loc District and Lam Kinh relic site in Tho Xuan District in Thanh Hoa Province.

The Ho Dynasty Citadel was recognised a world cultural heritage site in 2013. It measures 870m by 883m and was built in 1397.

The citadel's construction was supervised by the Tran Dynasty's top mandarin Ho Quy Ly, who later occupied the citadel when he forcibly took the throne in 1400, changing the country's name from Dai Viet to Dai Ngu.

Ho Quy Ly's rise to power launched the short-lived Ho Dynasty, and that is why the citadel is still known as the Ho Dynasty Citadel.

At the Thanh Hoa National Tourism Year's closing ceremony last night, the troupes performed traditional art forms that connected the unique ethnic group cultures in Viet Nam.

Many cultural, sport and tourism events such as fold song competition, sea tourism festival, international sculpture camp and gastronomy festival were held in Thanh Hoa Province.

The tourism year was expected to promote the tangible and intangible cultural heritage and natural tourist attractions in Viet Nam to domestic and international visitors, while boosting tourism co-operation between Thanh Hoa and other localities in the region and across the country.

In 2015, the province was expected to attract about 100,000 foreign tourists and about 5.5 million domestic tourists.

Located 150km to the south of Ha Noi and 1,560km to the north of HCM City, Thanh Hoa is a key tourist destination. With a magnificent history and cultural traditions, the city is home to several national heroes and cultural celebrities. It has more than 1,500 relic sites.

Along with that, hundreds of festivals, folk songs, dances and local specialities also contribute to developing the Thanh Hoa tourism brand. — VNS