Phu Tho: Festival honours UNESCO intangible cultural heritages across Vietnam
A festival to honour and showcase Vietnam’s UNESCO-recognised intangible cultural heritages of humanity is underway in the northern province of Phu Tho from April 22 to 24, as part of the local 2023 Hung Kings Temple Festival and Culture and Tourism Week of Ancestral Land.
A corner of Van Lang park in Phu Tho where an event set a Guinness Vietnam record for having the largest number of participants wearing 'ao dai' (Photo: VNA)
Phu Tho (VNA) - A festival to honour and showcase Vietnam’s UNESCO-recognised intangible cultural heritages of humanity is underway in the northern province of Phu Tho from April 22 to 24, as part of the local 2023 Hung Kings Temple Festival and Culture and Tourism Week of Ancestral Land.
Visitors are treated to performances in 15 cultural heritage genres, with the involvement of nearly 1,000 artisans and artists from 13 provinces and cities nationwide which possess the heritages, including Hue court music, Bac Ninh’s Quan ho (love duet) singing, Central Highlands’ space of gong culture, Phu Tho’s Xoan singing, and the art of Don ca tai tu music and song in southern Vietnam, among others.
Nguyen Dac Thuy, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the exchange and performance of intangible cultural heritages this time are expected to help artists and artisans to learn about the value of heritages from across the country and make contributions to protecting and promoting their value.
Phu Tho authorities will create the best conditions possible for participating delegations to exchange experiences in heritage management, conservation, and promotion, he stated.
Also within the Hung Kings Temple festival and culture-tourism week, the People’s Committee of Viet Tri city, Phu Tho, in collaboration with the Phuong Ly Media company, on April 22, organised a show of Ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress). The event broke three Guinness Vietnam records for the longest ao dai that features a 178-metre flap and weights 200kg; the longest runway of over 500 metres; and the highest number participants wearing ao dai, at nearly 4,000.
At the event (Photo: VNA)
Phu Tho is regarded as the ancestral land and the root of the Vietnamese people. In this place more than 4,000 years ago, Hung Kings founded the country of Van Lang, the first state of Vietnam. From this cradle, valuable cultural heritages of the Vietnamese people took shape, including the worshipping of the Hung Kings and xoan singing.
The commemoration of the Hung Kings has been made a national holiday, and is observed on the 10th day of the third lunar month, which falls on April 29 this year./.
A ceremony marking the death anniversary of Hung Kings - the legendary founders of the nation, and the Culture and Tourism Week of Ancestral Land will be held from April 20-29 in the northern midland province of Phu Tho with various activities.
A festival to honour UNESCO - recognised intangible cultural heritage of humanity will take place from April 21-22 in the northern province of Phu Tho, the department of cultural affairs under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on April 4.
A culinary culture festival will be held for the first time within the framework of the Hung Kings Temple Festival in the northern midland province of Phu Tho on April 25-29, with the participation of renowned Vietnamese chefs.
The ambassador noted that among the 300,000 Vietnamese residing in the RoK, around 3,000 are living in Pyeongtaek and contributing actively to the local economy. Ho expressed his hope that the local authorities will continue support the overseas Vietnamese community in the city.
This is the first time since the adoption of the Convention that a country has served two consecutive terms on the Committee. The outcome shows the trust and recognition that member states have given Vietnam for its efforts and achievements in carrying out and promoting the Convention, as well as for its active role, strong standing, and growing credibility at UNESCO.
Quang Duc pottery is known for its wide range of forms, including wine bottles, jars, lime pots, vases, plant pots, incense burners and candle stands. Decorative motifs are equally rich, featuring mythical creatures, pastoral scenes, floral patterns, deer, peacocks, bats and more.
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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.
A corner of Van Lang park in Phu Tho where an event set a Guinness Vietnam record for having the largest number of participants wearing 'ao dai' (Photo: VNA) 
At the event (Photo: VNA) 
