Highlights of the closing ceremony of the 2019 Lotus Village Festival.

On the evening of May 19th, the closing ceremony of the 2019 Lang Sen Festival took place at Ho Chi Minh Square in Vinh City.

Attending the ceremony were leaders of Military Region 4; the Department of Culture and Sports; representatives of provincial departments and agencies; leaders of districts, cities, and towns; actors and athletes from amateur art troupes and sports teams from districts, cities, and towns, along with a large number of people from Vinh City. Photo: Duc Anh

Solemn and lively

After four days (from May 16th to 19th) of vibrant festivities, the 2019 Lang Sen Festival concluded successfully. The festival aimed to honor the ideological, moral, and cultural values ​​of President Ho Chi Minh, and the culture of Lang Sen – the birthplace where he was nurtured and shaped the character of Nguyen Tat Thanh during his childhood.

Eight cultural performances were selected to be presented at the closing ceremony. Photo: Duc Anh

At the same time, we will continue to promote the study and emulation of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics, and style; and continue to affirm the important position of the Lotus Village Festival in the hearts of every Vietnamese citizen.

According to the Organizing Committee's assessment, the ceremonial activities ensured solemnity, utilized traditional folk festival forms, and mobilized a large number of people to participate.

A highlight of this year's festival was the meticulous preparation by all participating units, with content closely adhering to the themes of President Ho Chi Minh and Lang Sen village, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the implementation of President Ho Chi Minh's will and the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Photo: Duc Anh

An important part of the ceremony is the grand opening of the Festival, held at 8 PM on May 17th at the Sen Village stadium; the artistic program for the opening ceremony was meticulously prepared by the Organizing Committee in terms of content and script, with the theme "Uncle Ho's Words Illuminate Our Path".

Regarding the festival itself, the highlight of the Sen Village Festival is the "Singing of Sen Village" competition with the theme "Nghe An's Words Resound Forever" at the Kim Lien Historical Site, featuring nearly 300 performers, artisans, and musicians from 9 districts, cities, and towns. This event attracted the attention and enjoyment of many delegations visiting President Ho Chi Minh's hometown on the occasion of the 129th anniversary of his birth.

A highlight of this year's festival was the meticulous preparation by all participating units, with content closely adhering to the themes of President Ho Chi Minh and Lang Sen village, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the implementation of President Ho Chi Minh's will and the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Many performances showed innovation in staging, focusing on creative approaches from scriptwriting, choreography, musical arrangement, to costumes and props, resulting in a fairly consistent level of artistic quality.

A key highlight in this year's series of activities celebrating President Ho Chi Minh's birthday is the nationwide exhibitions: the Northern Central Region Art Photography Festival; the Vietnamese Nghê mascot exhibition; the large-format propaganda poster exhibition commemorating the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Ho Chi Minh Trail - the tradition of the Truong Son soldiers; and the exhibition "Simple yet Noble Examples".

The Organizing Committee presents awards to the winning teams in the sports competition. Photo: Duc Anh

In terms of sports activities, two disciplines were selected for competition: Volleyball and Traditional Martial Arts, bringing together 350 athletes from 15 delegations and units, competing for 39 sets of medals.

In the beauty contest at the Lotus Village Festival, after three rounds, the organizing committee selected 15 contestants for the final round. In addition, the festival also featured activities such as a propaganda vehicle competition; a youth camp; a thematic photo exhibition and film screening on the theme of President Ho Chi Minh; and traditional folk games, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere for the festival.

Spreading and crystallizing spiritual and cultural values.

On the closing night, eight selected cultural performances from the "Village of Lotus Singing Festival" were showcased, along with performances by the 15 finalists of the Village of Lotus Festival Beauty Contest.

In conclusion, the Organizing Committee awarded prizes for the competitions held at the Lotus Village Festival. Specifically, in the "Lotus Village Singing Contest," the Yen Thanh District Folk Art Team won first prize; second prize went to the Thanh Chuong and Do Luong teams; and third prize went to the Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, and Vinh City teams. In addition, the Organizing Committee also awarded 7 A prizes, 7 B prizes, 7 C prizes, and 7 Consolation prizes to the performances.

Comrade Ho Mau Thanh - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, presents the First Prize of the "Village of Lotus Singing Festival" to the Yen Thanh District Folk Art Team. Photo: Duc Anh

At the sports competition, the organizing committee awarded the first prize to Nam Dan district, the second prize to Vinh city, and the third prize to Yen Thanh district.

In the propaganda vehicle competition, the organizing committee awarded the A prize to the Thanh Chuong team, the B prize to the Do Luong and Hung Nguyen teams, and the C prize to 5 teams.

The Organizing Committee presents the second prize to the contestants in the Miss Lotus Village Festival 2019 competition. Photo: Duc Anh

In the Miss Lotus Village Festival contest, the first prize went to contestant Trinh Thi Ha Thuong (Thai Hoa town); the second prize was shared by two contestants, Nguyen Thi Nhu Quynh (Quynh Luu) and Nguyen Thi Dao (Hung Nguyen). In addition, the organizing committee also awarded 5 supplementary prizes and several consolation prizes.

The Lotus Village Festival originated as a local arts and culture event but quickly spread and grew, becoming a cultural festival that meets the people's needs for creativity and enjoyment of cultural values. The cultural and spiritual values ​​of the Lotus Village Festival are increasingly intertwined with and integrated into the flow of social life, playing a role in connecting the traditional cultural and historical heritage of Nghe An province with the rest of the country.