“Sac bua” singing recognised as national intangible cultural heritage
“Sac bua” (Tet greeting) singing in Phu Le commune, Ba Tri district, in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre, has been named national intangible cultural heritage.
Ben Tre (VNA) – “Sac bua” (Tetgreeting) singing in Phu Le commune, Ba Tri district, in the Mekong Deltaprovince of Ben Tre, has been named national intangible cultural heritage.
The provincial Department of Culture, Sports andTourism held a ceremony on April 13 to announce the title.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People’sCommittee Nguyen Huu Phuoc said the recognition is a great honour for locals.
“Sac bua” singing is a traditional performancein Ben Tre to wish for peace and prosperity on the traditional Lunar New Year(Tet).
It is believed to originate from the southcentral part of Vietnam. Locals from Quang Ngai – Binh Dinh region moved to thesouth to cultivate the Phu Le land in Ba Tri district in the middle of the 18thcentury.
Tran Van Hau from Binh Dinh was recognised as ateacher of “Sac bua”.
At first, there was only one “sac bua” singinggroup in Phu Le commune, with other teams established in neighbouring communessuch as Phuoc Tuy, Phu Ngai, Bao Thanh, and An Binh Tay in Ba Tri district, andTan Thanh in Giong Trom district.
“Sac bua” singing is also an agricultural ritualand spiritual activity, praying for bumper crops, peace and prosperity, anddriving away ghosts and devils.
“Sac bua” singers perform in groups, each with aringmaster and 4-12 artists. Musical instruments used include a Vietnamesetwo-chord fiddle, a drum and a coin clapper.
So far, the Department of Culture, Sports andTourism, along with the the Association of Cultural Heritage, and the CulturalCentre in Ben Tre has opened classes to teach “sac bua” singing to 40 localpeople.
However, this singing is at risk of falling intooblivion as many senior artists died. Phuoc suggested encouraging “Sac bua” artists to compose newsongs to resonate amidts the cultural and spiritual lives of locals.-VNA
Visitors to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology on February 8-9 have a chance to discover the culture of the country’s ethnic groups through a series of art performances, folk games and traditional cuisine.
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.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
"Sac bua" artists (Photo: VNA) 
