A traditional Vietnamese tug-of-war folk game was added to UNESCO''s list
of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity icons yesterday, along with
three other Asian countries with a similar tradition.
A series of cultural activities to mark the Vietnam
Cultural Heritage Day (November 23) began last week at ancient sites in
the Old Quarter and downtown HCM City.
Fifty-five artisans have been conferred with titles
of "meritorious artisans" in Ha Noi and HCM City in recognition of their
contribution to preserving and upholding intangible culture values.
Hundreds of representatives from 54 ethnic groups
throughout the country took part the opening ceremony of the National
Great Unity – Vietnamese Cultural Heritage Week last night.
Viet Nam Cultural Heritage Week will be held at the Culture Tourism
Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups in Ba Vi District on the outskirts
of Ha Noi from November 15-23.
The Viet Nam Cultural Heritage Week 2015 will be
organised at the Viet Nam National Village for Ethnic Culture and
Tourism in Son Tay Town''s Dong Mo on the outskirt of Ha Noi on November
15-23.
Participants from Southeast Asian member countries
and relevant bodies discussed and shared experiences in protecting
intangible cultural heritage at a regional meeting in Ha Noi.
New Zealand''s spectacular sights, whale watching, Maori cultural
heritage and extreme activity tours were highlighted at tourism seminars
in HCM City and Ha Noi as part of a Vietnamese effort to promote
tourism to the country.
The culture ministry has approved a plan to seek UNESCO''s recognition of
an oral folk art form of three ethnic groups from northern Viet Nam as
intangible cultural heritage.
The People''s Committee of the southern An Giang Province celebrated the
recognition accorded to the Ba Chua Xu (regional goddess) Festival as
national intangible cultural heritage on June 8.
Research on southern folk music (don ca tai tu) by a
teacher from Long An Province, Vo Truong Ky, won the Viet Nam Folk Arts
and Letters Association''s highest award this year.
A night of Vietnamese folk music featuring ca tru (ceremonial singing), cheo (popular theatre), chau van (spiritual singing) and xam (blind buskers'' singing) will take place in Ha Noi on January 6.
Vietnamese work songs are in the running to become
UNESCO symbols of intangible world heritage, along with 45 other
cultural practices across the globe.
Tuyet Sa Pa (Sapa in Winter) by Pham Bang won the first prize in the
single photo category for the subject of nature in the Vietnam Heritage
Photo Awards 2014.
