Culture sports

Dien Bien (VNA) – Traditional textiles patterns of Hmong ethnic people in Sa Long commune, Muong Cha district, the northwestern province of Dien Bien, have been recognised as national intangible cultural heritage. The local Hmong community, known as the Mong Hoa group, uses handicraft textiles’ motifs and patterns to represent their social life, culture, history and aspirations. They believe costume patterns help them communicate with deities to pray. The patterns in cross, triangle or lozenge shapes, among others, are made by sewing cloths of different colours, by embroidery, or by encaustic painting. Chang A Lu, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Muong Cha district, said the recognition brought joy to a community that has been working to preserve its cultural identity. He noted it could help promote community-based tourism in the locality. Dien Bien is now home to six national intangible cultural heritages.-VNA … [Read more...] about Hmong patterns recognised as national intangible cultural heritage

Thanh Hoa (VNA) – A ceremony was held in Ngu Loc commune, Hau Loc district, the central province of Thanh Hoa, on April 6 to kick off the Cau Ngu (Whale worshipping) festival and receive a certificate recognising it a national intangible cultural heritage. Cau Ngu festival is a unique cultural feature of coastal localities, which has been preserved and passed down through many generations. The festival is to pray for bumper hauls of fish, safe voyages and peace for the nation. The festival in Ngu Loc commune is considered the largest of its kind not only in Thanh Hoa but also across north central localities, attracting thousands of visitors. The main ritual in the festival is a procession of Long Chau boat from Bac Tho village to a platform at the commune’s stadium, where praying will be conducted every day during the festival. On the last day of the festival, the Long Chau boat will be burned at the seaside. Many festivities are also held during the event, include … [Read more...] about Thanh Hoa’s festival recognised national intangible cultural heritage

Thua Thien – Hue (VNA) – An exhibition of nearly 100 traditional folk paintings opened at the Hue Museum of Fine Arts in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue on April 25. On display are 68 outstanding paintings selected form the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum’s collection of traditional art. The works were originated from the painting genres of Dong Ho (Bac Ninh), Hang Trong and Kim Hoang (Hanoi), Vu Di (Vinh Phuc), and Doc Loi (Nghe An). The exhibition also features a total of 28 Sinh village paintings by artisan Ky Huu Phuoc from Thua Thien – Hue. All of the displays are Vietnamese woodcut paintings. Craftsmen make them by using woodblocks to create outlines on papers then painting the details by hand. Folk paintings were once associated with the spiritual life of Vietnamese people as they were usually used for worship or decoration during the Lunar New Year festival. Visitors to the event, which lasts until May 1, will have chance to learn … [Read more...] about Exhibition spotlights traditional folk paintings

Bac Ninh (VNA) – Dong Ho village, formerly named Mai village, in Song Ho commune of Thuan Thanh district, the northern province of Bac Ninh, is known as the cradle of one of the most famous folk painting genres of Vietnam. Telling the history of Dong Ho paintings, artisan Nguyen Dang Che, who has been working hard to preserve this genre, said according ancestors’ documents, the craft of making paintings in Dong Ho dates back to the 16th century, and it is now more than 500 years old. So far, no one has ever heard about the founder of this craft, and all the quintessence of this folk painting genre has been handed down from generation to generation by artisans for centuries. This genre had been in its prime before 1944. At that time, local residents mainly earned their living by making paintings to sell in the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival and producing votive papers. The village was busy all year round, and there were up to 17 clans involved in making paintings. Usually, … [Read more...] about Dong Ho – An outstanding folk painting genre

She often organized annual banquet celebrating Tet holiday for consular officers to welcome the Lunar New Year mutually. Ms. Marie Damour came back to Vietnam in 2019 after 15 years. According to her, although Vietnam has changed a lot, she highly appreciated the ways that Vietnamese people have taken care of traditional culture on Tet holiday, showed respect with their ancestors, grand-parents, parents, etc. Sharing about Vietnam Tet , Cuban Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City Ms. Indira Lopez Arguelles, who has taken her mission in the city since 2017, said that she has experienced Tet holiday in Vietnam twice in 2018 and 2019. For her, enjoying Tet holiday in reality would be much more interesting than on newspapers. Tet is an occasion to visit her friends, to savor traditional dishes and gaze away the beautiful city with colorful New Year decorations. Consul General of Thailand to Ho Chi Minh City Mr. Apirat Sugondhabhirom, who began his mission in the middle of 2019 said that … [Read more...] about Tet holiday- Wonderful time for experiencing Vietnam’s culture