To have the National Festival in Sen Village
(Baonghean) - Towards the 123rd anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth, the Provincial People's Committee directed the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to develop a plan to upgrade the Lang Sen Festival to a National Festival. During the discussion process, experts unanimously agreed that the Lang Sen Festival should become a National Festival so that people nationwide can remember the birthplace of President Ho Chi Minh. At the Scientific Conference summarizing 30 years of the Lang Sen Festival, jointly organized by the Institute of Culture and the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee in 2011, scientists also proposed upgrading the Lang Sen Festival to a National Festival.
The "Singing from Lang Sen Village" Festival, initiated in 1982, quickly spread and was elevated to the status of the Lang Sen Village Festival. For over 30 years, the Lang Sen Village Festival, held annually to commemorate President Ho Chi Minh's birthday, has left a deep impression on the people of Nghe An province. The "Singing from Lang Sen Village" Festival, from its inception, deeply moved people because, from the bottom of their hearts, everyone wanted to sing about President Ho Chi Minh. Amateur art troupes from all over the country felt honored and happy to participate in the "Singing from Lang Sen Village" Festival.
Therefore, the initiative to elevate the "Singing from Lang Sen Village" to a "Lang Sen Village Festival" has been supported by leaders and the people. However, besides the main activity, the "Singing from Lang Sen Village" Festival, the "Lang Sen Village Festival" only includes a few additional activities such as: exhibitions of paintings and photographs; organizing sports and recreational activities; and a procession of President Ho Chi Minh's portrait. These activities are not yet a true festival because they lack many elements of a traditional festival, such as: sacred space, spiritual symbols, festival rituals, and festival colors… The "Lang Sen Village Festival" is organized by the Department of Culture, and there is a lack of voluntary participation from the general public. Every year, on May 19th, crowds of people make pilgrimages to Kim Lien, President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace, but they have not been given the opportunity to participate in the "Lang Sen Village Festival".
Upgrading the Lang Sen Village Festival to a national-level festival is necessary to create a national celebration for the entire nation to honor their roots. Just as the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day gave rise to the Hung Temple Festival, the Lang Sen Village National Festival will create a grand festival in the beloved homeland of President Ho Chi Minh. However, creating such a significant festival requires addressing many challenges. Singing from Lang Sen Village remains a crucial element of the festival; therefore, it must be innovated, creatively improved, and enhanced in quality to maintain its original impact on people's hearts.
Like other festivals, the Lotus Village Festival must have a sacred space, spiritual symbols, and a proper festival ritual. It is necessary to study the traditional festivals of the Vietnamese people to organize the Lotus Village Festival in a way that truly attracts a large number of people to participate. The Lotus Village Festival must both absorb the cultural essence of the nation and create new forms of festival activities to honor President Ho Chi Minh and educate generations of Vietnamese people about his thoughts and ethics. When the Lotus Village Festival becomes a national holiday, it must be organized solemnly, with the participation of Party and State leaders and people from all over the country. The pilgrims returning to President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace on the anniversary of his birth must be the main force participating in the festival...
The National Festival of Lang Sen Village is a wish not only of the people of Nghe An but of the entire nation. However, to have a National Festival of Lang Sen Village, the most important thing is to deeply understand Ho Chi Minh's ideology and ethics, and to create a new form of festival that reflects the high cultural standards of the era, stemming from a sincere reverence for him!
TRAN HONG CO
