The opening ceremony saw the participation of hundreds of artisans and artists from central and local units and students in Viet Tri city. According the program’s director Le The Song, the three-part ceremony would help locals be proud of Phu Tho heritage land which is home to Hung Kings Worshiping and Xoan singing.
    |
 |
|
A performance at the opening ceremony |
One of the unique parts of the program was the participation of 100 elderly artisans and 90 primary school students from four famous Xoan singing wards in Phu Tho province. This demonstrated the locality’s awareness of preserving heritage elements by passing down them from generation to generation and upholding national identities.
According to the organizers, five main activities will take place from April 21 to 28. They are the Hung Kings Temple Festival and the Ancestral Land Culture-Tourism Week 2023, performance of Vietnam’s UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage, the celebration of the 20 year-implementation of UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the “Promoting role of cultural heritage in combination with tourism development” seminar, and an exhibition on culture and tourism heritage.
At the event, UNESCO Chief Representative in Vietnam Christian Manhart said that UNESCO is pleased that the Vietnamese Government pays attention to promoting the role of intangible cultural heritage in economic development. The UNESCO official added that in order to keep heritage alive to be passed down on to next generations, they need respecting and properly appreciating. He said that the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is instrumental in demonstrating the role and importance of intangible cultural heritage. He evaluated that Vietnam is always UNESCO’s active member which is always willing to share its successful lessons with other countries in the field of culture.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha affirmed that the Hung Kings Temple Festival and the Ancestral Land Culture and Tourism Week in 2023 gathering the quintessence of cultural heritage elements from all regions of the country would enable tourists and pilgrims to have unforgettable experience and deeper understanding, thus helping them love and be proud of the country, culture, and people of Vietnam.
“Notably, the festival is an opportunity for us to look back on the 20-year journey of Vietnam as a responsible member in implementing action programs on the protection of intangible cultural heritage in the spirit of the 2003 Convention. Vietnamese cultural heritage elements have continued to be preserved and spread the value system of identity and humanity, contributing to bringing Vietnamese culture to shine in the flow of human civilization” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
|
|
 |
|
A performance of both elderly people and primary school students |
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha highly appreciated Phu Tho province’s efforts in preserving and promoting typical cultural values, especially its joint initiative with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to connect intangible cultural heritage elements during this year’s Hung Kings Temple Festival and the Ancestral Land Culture and Tourism Week. He asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Phu Tho provincial People’s Committee to ensure the best conditions for artists to perform and promote their creativeness and tourists to experience and explore national cultural values, contributing to bringing Vietnam closer to international friends.
Translated by Tran Hoai