A traditional music and dance performance by ethnic minority artists at the sixth Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival on March 10. (Photo: VNA) Dak Lak (VNA) - Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc has urged the Central Highlands region to develop into a prosperousarea by promoting its biodiversity, cultural values and organic agriculture.
The PM spoke at the opening ceremony of the sixth Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festivalon the night of March 10 in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.
He said the Central Highlands has great advantages and potential for coffeeplantations and exports, and that it should also improve its agro-forestryprocessing industry.
He said the region, which could become an attractive tourist destination,should promote ecological tours associated with coffee and gong-culture values.
The PM urged the region to develop a sustainable strategy to preserve theidentity of local ethnic groups, especially the gong space culture, which in2008 was named to the Representative List of UNESCO’s Intangible CulturalHeritage of Humanity.
Cultivation of coffee trees is the main livelihood of farmers in the Central Highlands.
“The Buon Ma Thuot coffee festival plays an essential role in promoting thetrademark Buon Ma Thuot coffee and Vietnam’s coffee to the internationalmarket,” he said.
During the festival, which will run through the weekend, there will be culturalactivities around Buon Ma Thuot, including a culinary street, street festival,elephant race, boat race, and wooden statue-carving contest with 60 artisansfrom the central province of Khanh Hoa and the Central Highlands region.
The fourth conference on investment promotion for the Central Highlands will beheld on March 11 in Buon Ma Thuot. It is expected to draw 500 representativesfrom local and international agencies.
In addition, a photo contest featuring local coffee culture and gong spaceculture as well as a coffee harvesting competition will take place.
The country has exported an average of 1.2-1.5 million tonnes of coffee eachyear in the past 10 years.
Vietnam is the second-largest coffee exporter in the world, following Brazil.
The festival has also attracted investors interested in trade and tourismprojects in the area, he said.
During the coffee festival, local and foreignvisitors will have an opportunity to enjoy a gong festival in Dak Lak.
The PM spoke at the opening ceremony of the sixth Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festivalon the night of March 10 in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.
He said the Central Highlands has great advantages and potential for coffeeplantations and exports, and that it should also improve its agro-forestryprocessing industry.
He said the region, which could become an attractive tourist destination,should promote ecological tours associated with coffee and gong-culture values.
The PM urged the region to develop a sustainable strategy to preserve theidentity of local ethnic groups, especially the gong space culture, which in2008 was named to the Representative List of UNESCO’s Intangible CulturalHeritage of Humanity.
Cultivation of coffee trees is the main livelihood of farmers in the Central Highlands.
“The Buon Ma Thuot coffee festival plays an essential role in promoting thetrademark Buon Ma Thuot coffee and Vietnam’s coffee to the internationalmarket,” he said.
During the festival, which will run through the weekend, there will be culturalactivities around Buon Ma Thuot, including a culinary street, street festival,elephant race, boat race, and wooden statue-carving contest with 60 artisansfrom the central province of Khanh Hoa and the Central Highlands region.
The fourth conference on investment promotion for the Central Highlands will beheld on March 11 in Buon Ma Thuot. It is expected to draw 500 representativesfrom local and international agencies.
In addition, a photo contest featuring local coffee culture and gong spaceculture as well as a coffee harvesting competition will take place.
The country has exported an average of 1.2-1.5 million tonnes of coffee eachyear in the past 10 years.
Vietnam is the second-largest coffee exporter in the world, following Brazil.
The festival has also attracted investors interested in trade and tourismprojects in the area, he said.
During the coffee festival, local and foreignvisitors will have an opportunity to enjoy a gong festival in Dak Lak.
The gong festival promotes the cultural valueand music of the Central Highlands gongs to the country and world, as well asthe country’s socio-economic development, particularly tourism.
Gong performances and traditional ethnic group ceremonies will be organised inBuon Ma Thuot and Buon Don district.
Many ethnic groups will take part in the gong festival, together withperformers from other countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Romania.
“Gong music is a deeply rooted part of culture in most East and Southeast Asiancountries,” Phuc said.
The gong festival reflects the Central Highlands gong culture’s status as amasterpiece of the world’s oral and intangible heritage. The title was awardedby UNESCO in December 2005 after the Government submitted an action programme onthe unique culture.
The opening ceremony of the festival involved about 1,000 local and foreignperformers at Buon Ma Thuot’s March 10 Square. The performance is based on astory about the history of the province and its ancient gong culture.
During the festival, many activities will be held, including religiousceremonies accompanied by gong orchestras as well as contests, seminars andexhibitions.
Vietnam gongs consist of two main types,the cong and chieng. Cong has a knob in the middle,while chieng is flat. Cong makes deep bass sounds, whilemelodies have to be coaxed out of a chieng.
“Gongs have been widely used during daily life including grand ceremonies ofthe Central Highlands ethnic groups,” the PM said.
“Villages in the region often reflect their strength through gongs. They showthe people’s sentiments, love, and relationship to nature,” he added.
The ceremonies were broadcast live on VTV1, VTV5 and VTV8 of the VietnamTelevision Network as well as TV and radio channels in Dak Lak province andother Central Highlands provinces. - VNA
Gong performances and traditional ethnic group ceremonies will be organised inBuon Ma Thuot and Buon Don district.
Many ethnic groups will take part in the gong festival, together withperformers from other countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Romania.
“Gong music is a deeply rooted part of culture in most East and Southeast Asiancountries,” Phuc said.
The gong festival reflects the Central Highlands gong culture’s status as amasterpiece of the world’s oral and intangible heritage. The title was awardedby UNESCO in December 2005 after the Government submitted an action programme onthe unique culture.
The opening ceremony of the festival involved about 1,000 local and foreignperformers at Buon Ma Thuot’s March 10 Square. The performance is based on astory about the history of the province and its ancient gong culture.
During the festival, many activities will be held, including religiousceremonies accompanied by gong orchestras as well as contests, seminars andexhibitions.
Vietnam gongs consist of two main types,the cong and chieng. Cong has a knob in the middle,while chieng is flat. Cong makes deep bass sounds, whilemelodies have to be coaxed out of a chieng.
“Gongs have been widely used during daily life including grand ceremonies ofthe Central Highlands ethnic groups,” the PM said.
“Villages in the region often reflect their strength through gongs. They showthe people’s sentiments, love, and relationship to nature,” he added.
The ceremonies were broadcast live on VTV1, VTV5 and VTV8 of the VietnamTelevision Network as well as TV and radio channels in Dak Lak province andother Central Highlands provinces. - VNA
VNA
