Festival celebrates UNESCO recognition of Bai Choi singing
To celebrate Vietnam’s Bai Choi, which has been recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, an art festival is being held in Binh Dinh province’s coastal Quy Nhon city.
Bai choi is often seen at local spring festivals and resembles a game, using playing cards and village huts.(Photo: VNA)
Binh Dinh (VNA) - To celebrate Vietnam’s Bai Choi (folk singing), whichhas been recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage ofHumanity, an art festival is being held in south central Binh Dinh province’sQuy Nhon city.
The BaiChoi singing festival aims to help artisans promote the singing inthe province. Each participating locality chose an art troupe to perform Bai Choi for no longer than 40minutes.
According to the organising board, thefestival has received full participation from localities active inpromoting Bai Choi, suchas Quy Nhon, An Nhon, Tuy Phuoc, Phu Cat and Hoai Nhon.
Bai Choi is a diverse art combining music, poetry,acting, painting and literature. Its practitioners include performers,card-making artists and hut-making artists. Performers and their families playa major role in safeguarding the practice, and dedicated groups continue tocelebrate it. Most performers learn within their family but specialist artistsalso teach in clubs, schools and associations.
Apart from the festival, which lasts from February 7-8, other art programmeswill continue to be held locally to praise Bai Choi until April 30 this year.-VNA
Xoan singing and Bai choi singing, two forms of Vietnamese folk music, are among 35 cultural heritages applying to be added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Bai Choi singing, a folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, has been added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, according to the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
UNESCO officially enshrined Bai Choi singing, practised in Vietnam’s central region, in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 7, 2017.
Vietnam’s cinematic appeal lies in its diverse settings, from terraced mountains and limestone karsts to bustling markets and ancient towns. Its mix of ethnic vibes, buzzing street life, and old traditions gives directors a goldmine for storytelling.
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Bai choi is often seen at local spring festivals and resembles a game, using playing cards and village huts.(Photo: VNA) 
