A range of activities will be held from January 1-31 at the Viet Nam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Dong Mo tourism area of Son Tay town in Hanoi to celebrate the New Year 2018.
The programme will feature the participation of over 100 people from 11 different ethnic minority groups, including Tay, Dao, Mong, Thai, Muong, Kho Mu, Ta Oi, Co Tu, Raglai, E De and Khmer. They come from ten provinces and cities around the country including Thai Nguyen, Hanoi, Ha Giang, Son La, Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Thua Thien – Hue, Ninh Thuan, Dak Lak and Soc Trang.
Traditional festivals will be reproduced, helping visitors know more about the cultural identities and activities to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) festival of ethnic minority groups.
The highlight of the programme will be a performance from Then singing (a traditional art form of Tay ethnic minority group) and introduction of folk games of Tay people such as stick pushing, swinging and bamboo pole dance.
In addition, a special event introducing visitors to the meticulous tea making process with the ingenuity of the tea makers is expected to become an attractive activity.
Preparation and decoration of the living spaces of ethnic minority groups to celebrate Tet festival will make the village more colourful and eventful.
On the occasion, artists from the Vietnam Cheo (traditional opera) Theatre will give performances of Cheo praising the country, spring and new year as well as Chau Van (spiritual singing) – an art form related to the worship of the Mother Goddesses which was recognised by the UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity on January 1, 2016.
Students from the Department of Ethnic Minority Culture under the Hanoi University of Culture will also perform folk songs and dances from the ethnic groups.
The Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre will stage various puppetry performances, being expected to attract a large number of both domestic and foreign visitors.
The programme aims to preserve and uphold the traditional cultural value of Vietnamese ethnic communities and enhance the great national unity bloc, while popularising the Viet Nam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism.