Various folk activities will be on show at the first ever Folk Culture in Contemporary Life Festival in Hanoi this weekend. (Illustrative image. Source: hanoimoi.com.vn)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Various folkactivities will be on show at the first ever Folk Culture in ContemporaryLife Festival this weekend at Ly Thai To Park in downtown Hanoi.
Pham Thi Lan Anh, an official from the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, said products by traditionalhandicraft villages around the city will be featured at the event, whilevarious folk art forms will be performed between December 13 and 15including ca tru (ceremonial singing), hat xam (singingby buskers) and folk dances.
The event aims tocelebrate Hanoi's new title as it has been named one of 66 new members ofthe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)’sNetwork of Creative Cities.
Ceramics of Bat Trang,silk weaving in Van Phuc, bamboo weaving in Phu Vinh and lacquer producing in HaThai village will be highlighted.
Folk painting genreslike Hang Trong, Kim Hoang, Dong Ho and new paintings made with clothpieces, ceramic pieces and hand embroidered paintings are also introducedat the site, where visitors can experience the process with artisans.
Artisan Trieu Dinh Hongfrom Trieu Khuc Village, Tan Trieu Commune, Thanh Tri District could nothide his excitement before the event. He will perform his village’s folk dancecalled Bong or Con Di Danh Bong dance, inwhich men dress up as women and dance.
"Bong or ConDi Danh Bong dance is an ancient dance,” he said. “We have facedvarious challenges in preserving it. Thanks to efforts by local authorities, weare still practicing it. We will prove its beauty at this event.”
Vun Art, an enterpriseat the event will bring its folk paintings made from cloth pieces, whichare discarded by Van Phuc silk weaving village.
Le Viet Cuong, directorof Vun Art, said he set up the enterprises to help disabled people.
“Our enterprise hasgradually become a creative space for domestic and foreign tourists," hesaid.
The city now hostsnearly 6,000 historic relic sites, over 1,700 intangible cultural heritages and folkarts.
Ngo Manh Chien, aresident from Trung Hoa Ward, Cau Giay District, said he would not miss theevent as it was a chance to learn to preserve cultural values ofcommunities.
Ngo Thuy Dung, a studentfrom Hanoi Foreign Trade University said she liked handicraft products and folkperforming arts.
“I hope the festivalwill offer meaningful experiences so that people of all ages, especiallythe youth, understand more clearly and love traditional values,” she said.
To Van Dong, Director ofthe Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, said the event aims to praise andadvertise historical values and profound knowledge of holy land Thang Long - Hanoi.
“From this event,culture workers like me hope Hanoians will show off their responsibilities inpreserving and developing heritage,” he said.
“Then each of them canbe an ambassador to advertise Hanoi’s culture and personality based on theirprofound understanding on the city’s history and culture,” he said./.
