Highlights of the 'Homeland in the Lotus Blooming Season' Street Festival in Nghe An

Attending the festival were members of the Provincial Party Standing Committee: Nguyen Nam Dinh - Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Vo Thi Minh Sinh - Chairman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee; members of the Provincial Party Committee: Nguyen Van De - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Vo Van Dung - Deputy Head of the Provincial Party Propaganda Department; Tran Thi My Hanh - Director of the Department of Culture and Sports; representatives of various departments, agencies, and organizations, along with a large number of people and tourists from near and far.

Delegates attending the street festival on the evening of May 15th. Photo: QA

Street festivalWith the theme "Homeland in the Season of Lotus Blossoms," this program is part of a series of events celebrating the 2023 Lotus Village Festival, commemorating the 155th anniversary of the birth of Mrs. Hoang Thi Loan, mother of President Ho Chi Minh, and the 133rd anniversary of the birth of the great President Ho Chi Minh.

The betel nut offering ceremony marks the beginning of the festival. Photo: QA

Nghe An is a land of outstanding people and rich history. Throughout generations, the people of Nghe An have not only made significant contributions to the nation's historical progress but have also created a unique cultural region.

With six ethnic groups living together, Nghe An today not only boasts a vibrant contemporary culture, a convergence of many finest elements, but also possesses an incredibly rich and unique cultural heritage, including the Nghe Tinh folk songs (Vi and Giam), which are one of the 15 intangible cultural heritages of Vietnam honored by UNESCO.

The street festival aims to introduce, promote, and honor the cultural heritage of the ethnic groups of Nghe An province to friends and tourists from both within and outside the country. The festival features the participation of over 900 artists, performers, and artisans from 21 art troupes from districts, cities, and towns in Nghe An province, the Nghe An Provincial Traditional Arts Center, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Art Troupe, and dance groups from Vinh City.

Ms. Tran Thi My Hanh, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, delivered the opening speech at the festival. Photo: QA

The festival comprises three main parts: "The Sparkling Soul of Nghe An Homeland," "The Gathering of Lotus Fragrance," and "The Colors of Nghe An." Throughout the ceremony, participating groups showcased traditional art forms and unique cultural heritage from various regions and ethnic groups.

The spectacular performances at the ceremony, such as traditional plays, Hmong flute dances, flying palanquin processions, folk song performances, the Xang Khan ritual of the Thai ethnic group, the New Year's thunder welcoming ceremony of the O Du people, and the Xuan Pha performance of Thanh Hoa province, left a deep impression on the audience.

The lion and dragon dance performance is from the Vinh City Art Troupe. Photo: QA

The festival has helped locals and tourists better understand the unique cultural characteristics of Nghe An province, while also fostering a greater appreciation for the cultural values ​​and essence of the ethnic groups from the 21 districts, towns, and cities throughout the province. These beautiful aspects are being carefully preserved and passed on by local authorities, gradually transforming into attractive products to serve tourism development.

Highlights of the street festival on the evening of May 15th:

The Xuan Pha folk dance performance comes from the Thanh Hoa Provincial Folk Art Troupe. The Xuan Pha folk dance has been formed and developed over more than 1,000 years, becoming a unique and distinctive folk dance ensemble performed annually at the Xuan Pha Temple in Xuan Truong commune, Tho Xuan district, Thanh Hoa province, and is recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. Photo: QA

The Ca Tru singing performance comes from the Dien Chau District Folk Arts Team. Photo: QA

The song and dance performance "Meeting at the Market" by the Ky Son District Amateur Arts Team. Photo: QA

The unique tradition of running and vomiting, and tossing the palanquin, is a highlight of the Cờn Temple Festival, as performed by the Hoang Mai Town Art Troupe. Photo: Q/A

The folk song performance "Duyen Phuong Cay" by the Anh Son and Do Luong District Amateur Arts Teams. Photo: QA

The performance "Welcoming the First Thunder of the Year" by the O Du ethnic group from Tuong Duong district. Photo: QA

The traditional opera performance comes from the Yen Thanh District Folk Art Troupe. Photo: QA

The performances included singing and dancing by teams from Tan Ky, Thai Hoa, Con Cuong, Nghia Dan, and Quy Hop. Photo: QA

Provincial leaders present the A prize to outstanding performances. Photo: QA

Comrade Nguyen Nam Dinh - Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, presented the first prize for the overall team performance to Yen Thanh district and Tan Ky district. Photo: QA