President attends opening ceremony of Vietnam Ethnic Groups Festival

The Vietnam Ethnic Groups Festival is an annual activity held to contribute to preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of the nation.

On the evening of April 16, at the Cultural Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups - Dong Mo, Hanoi, the opening ceremony of the Festival of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups and the 70th anniversary of Uncle Ho's letter to the Congress of Southern Ethnic Minorities (April 19, 1946 - April 19, 2016) took place. President Tran Dai Quang attended and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony.

President Tran Dai Quang speaks at the opening ceremony of the Vietnam Ethnic Groups Festival.

The Vietnam Ethnic Groups Festival is an annual activity organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism of provinces and cities, to contribute to preserving and promoting traditional cultural values ​​of the nation, strengthening the building and consolidation of the great solidarity of Vietnamese ethnic groups, attracting tourists and promoting and introducing Vietnamese ethnic groups.

This year's festival attracted 120 village elders, village chiefs, artisans, and people of 8 ethnic groups from 8 provinces, representing ethnic groups and regions across the country, including: Muong (Hoa Binh), Thai (Nghe An), Kho Mu (Dien Bien), E De (Dak Lak), Gie Trieng (Kon Tum), San Chay (Thai Nguyen), Dao (Tuyen Quang) and Khmer (Soc Trang). With the theme "Thousands of elites converge", the opening ceremony was a highlight with the participation of about 300 professional actors and 100 extras.

The program introduces the unique cultural identity of 54 ethnic groups through works of art.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, President Tran Dai Quang sent his best regards and congratulations to the community of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups. The President emphasized that Vietnamese culture is the result of thousands of years of creative labor and heroic struggle to build and defend the country, forging the Vietnamese soul, spirit and mettle, making the glorious history of our nation shine.

The consistent viewpoint throughout the entire process of cultural leadership of the Party and our State has always affirmed that culture is an integral part of the revolutionary cause, deeply attached to the spiritual life of the people. Resolution of the 9th Central Committee (Part XI) "On building and developing Vietnamese culture and people to meet the requirements of sustainable national development" has determined the goal of building "Culture to truly become a solid spiritual foundation of society, an important endogenous strength to ensure sustainable development and firmly protect the Fatherland for the goal of a rich people, a strong country, democracy, equality and civilization".

The Government's decision, starting from 2009, to designate April 19 every year as the Vietnamese Ethnic Culture Day aims to honor the cultural values ​​of 54 ethnic groups, strengthen the strength of national solidarity, contribute to the tradition of patriotism, humanity, and loyalty, and arouse pride in the heroic country of Vietnam.

The President said: “The Vietnamese Ethnic Culture Day is gradually spreading and permeating the Vietnamese ethnic community, truly becoming a festival for ethnic people to meet, exchange, and join in traditional festivals, thereby contributing to introducing and honoring good cultural values, enriching the spiritual life of our people. Many tangible and intangible cultural heritages have been preserved and embellished; many customs and practices of ethnic people have been researched, collected and restored; the spiritual and cultural activities of the people have received attention. Practical and meaningful activities and deeds in preserving and promoting cultural heritage associated with socio-economic development, environmental protection, hunger eradication and poverty reduction... by all levels, sectors and people have contributed to affirming the vitality and longevity of Vietnamese ethnic culture. In particular, the Vietnam Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village has been inaugurated and is operating more and more effectively. result, becoming "Common home of 54 ethnic groups".

Appreciating and warmly praising the efforts and achievements of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, ministries, departments, branches, localities, and ethnic people in the cause of preserving and developing the culture of Vietnamese ethnic groups, President Tran Dai Quang emphasized that in order to preserve and promote better the cultural values ​​of the nation, contributing to making the Vietnamese nation forever exist and increasingly develop, in the coming time, it is necessary to continue to effectively implement the Resolution of the 9th Conference of the 11th Party Central Committee "On building and developing Vietnamese culture and people to meet the requirements of sustainable national development" and the Cultural Development Strategy to 2020.

Focus on promoting the preservation and promotion of the good values ​​of national culture, diversity and cultural identity of ethnic groups, consolidating and enhancing the unity in diversity of Vietnamese culture, building new cultural values; at the same time, proactively expanding international cultural exchanges, selectively receiving the quintessence of world culture, enriching national culture, and progressing with the development of the times.

At the same time, create all conditions to improve the level of enjoyment and participation in cultural creative activities of the people; strive to gradually narrow the gap in cultural and artistic enjoyment between urban and rural areas, between the plains and ethnic minority areas, remote areas, border areas, and islands; harmoniously combine the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values ​​with sustainable economic and tourism development activities.

Further promote propaganda and education on the Vietnamese Ethnic Culture Day so that ethnic people can strengthen their closeness, respect each other as brothers and sisters, consolidate ethnic solidarity, arouse self-esteem and pride in the national cultural traditions, the will and determination to build our country rich and civilized; promote the image and culture of the Vietnamese ethnic group to international friends.

The President requested all levels and sectors to uphold their sense of responsibility, cherish, respect and take practical actions to honor, preserve and promote the nation's fine cultural values, both tangible and intangible, and actively fight against uncultured and anti-cultural behaviors. With that meaning, the President wished the opening program of activities to celebrate the Cultural Day of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups a great success./.

According to VOV