Children will be able to explore the cultures of Vietnam ’s coastal areas during the ocean-themed Mid-Autumn Festival held on September 6-7 at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.

Visitors will have the chance to talk to fishermen from Ly Son island district in the central province Quang Ngai to learn more about their daily lives and traditional festivals, such as the annual “Le khao le the linh Hoang Sa” (Feast and Commemoration Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers). The ritual pays tribute to the men enlisted in the fleet patrolling the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos to extract natural resources and defend the sovereignty of Vietnam ’s islands.

Artists from the northern port city of Hai Phong will entertain the audience with lion dance performances.

In addition, a range of activities and folk games will be on offer, particularly for young visitors, such as treasure hunts, “o an quan” (Mandarin Square Capturing) and the opportunity to savour Quang Ngai’s cuisine.

Other popular activities will include making “com” (young glutinous rice) and “banh deo” (sticky rice cake), a cake typical for the Full Moon festival, and crafting “to he” (toy figurines).

The activities aim to increase the young generation’s awareness of the importance of preserving and promoting the value of culture and traditional crafts.

Established in 1997, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology has served as a research centre and public museum with the mission to collect, document, preserve and exhibit the cultural heritages of Vietnam ’s 54 ethnic groups.

The museum preserves over 29,000 exhibits, including approximately 25,000 objects on Vietnam ’s ethnic minorities and their cultures.-VNA