The “Khai ha - Cau an” Festival in Ho Chi Minh City and another dedicated to Mother Au Co in the northern province of Phu Tho, both named as national intangible cultural heritage, opened on February 4.
The Mother Au Co Temple Festival opens in Hien Luong commune, Ha Hoa district, Phu Tho province, with a ritual honouring the guardian deity at the local communal house. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA)ꦐ - The “Khai ha - Cau an” Festival, a traditional festival to pray for peace in Ho Chi Minh City, and another dedicated to Au Co – the legendary mother of Vietnam – in the northern province of Phu Tho opened on February 4, the seventh day of the first lunar month.
Both of them have been included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The annual “Khai ha - Cau an” Festival starts with a ritual of dismantling the Neu tree, which is planted in front of Vietnamese houses on the last day of the lunar year to expel evils, worship deities, and pray for good luck for the New Year.
It is followed by the praying ceremony for peace, a ritual of taking the brush to write the first characters for the New Year, and a ritual of stamping a seal.
Meanwhile, the Mother Au Co Temple Festival opened in Hien Luong commune, Ha Hoa district, Phu Tho province, with a ritual honouring the guardian deity at the local communal house. A palanquin procession began later on the day, taking the offerings from the communal house to the Au Co Temple. The ritual prays for peace, good weather, prosperity and happiness.
The temple was built under the reign of King Le Thanh Tong (15th century) and named a national historical and cultural relic site in 1991
Legend has it that Au Co, who was a fairy, descended to the earth on the seventh day of the first lunar month. She met with Lac Long Quan and gave birth to 100 sons. Fifty of them followed their father to the sea and the other half followed their mother to the mountains in the upstream Red River.
When they arrived in the area which is now Hien Luong commune, Au Co and her children were so captivated by the area’s fertility and stunning landscapes that they decided to settle there, and this was where the eldest son was crowned as a Hung King – the legendary founder of Vietnam.
They practised water rice cultivation to provide food, planted mulberry trees, and bred silk worms before Au Co returned to heaven on the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month./.
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Du Duc Duy took the stage to remind everyone of tree planting’s role in biodiversity conservation, environmental protection, and climate change adaptation.
My Duc district in Hanoi, home to the magnificent the Huong Son Landscape Complex, also known as Huong Pagoda, has pulled out all the stops in preparation for the festival.
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.
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
