Solemn Ceremony to honor Nghe - Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs

(Baonghean.vn) - On the evening of January 31, 2015, at Ho Chi Minh Square (Vinh City - Nghe An), the Ministry of Culture - Sports and Tourism, the Party Committee, the government and the people of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces solemnly held a ceremony to honor and receive the UNESCO Certificate recognizing Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The honor program was held at Ho Chi Minh Square.

Attending the ceremony were comrades: Nguyen Sinh Hung - Politburo member, Chairman of the National Assembly; Tong Thi Phong - Politburo member, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly; Nguyen Xuan Phuc - Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister; Nguyen Manh Cam - former Politburo member, former Deputy Prime Minister; Le Xuan Tung - former Politburo member - former Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee; Party Central Committee members: Vu Duc Dam - Deputy Prime Minister, Uong Chu Luu - Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, Vuong Dinh Hue - Head of the Central Economic Commission, Phan Dinh Trac - Deputy Head of the Central Internal Affairs Commission, Nguyen The Trung - Deputy Head of the Central Mass Mobilization Commission, Ho Mau Ngoat - Assistant to the General Secretary; Tran Tuan Anh - Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Nguyen Minh Quang - Minister of Natural Resources and Environment; Nguyen Thi Kim Tien - Minister of Health, Phan Xuan Dung - Deputy Head of the National Assembly's Committee for Science, Technology and Environment, Thuan Huu - Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper; Nguyen Dac Vinh - Alternate member of the Party Central Committee - First Secretary of the Central Youth Union;..., leaders of central ministries and branches...

On the side of Military Region 4, there were Major General Nguyen Sy Hoi, Deputy Commander of Military Region 4, Lieutenant General Nguyen Quoc Thuoc - former Commander of Military Region 4.

International delegates included Ms. Katherine Muller Marin - Chief Representative of UNESCO Office in Hanoi, Mr. Park Nark Gong - Cultural Counselor and Director of Korean Cultural Center in Vietnam, leaders of Xieng Khouang, Khammouane, Boly Khamxay, and Hua Phan provinces - Lao PDR.

On the side of the neighboring provinces, there were: leaders of Bac Ninh, Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Bac Giang, Binh Duong, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thai Binh provinces.

On the side of Nghe An province, there were comrades: Ho Duc Phoc - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Tran Hong Chau - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee - Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, Nguyen Xuan Duong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee - Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Le Quang Huy - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, comrades in the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, leaders of provincial departments, agencies, and districts and cities.

On the side of Ha Tinh province, there were comrades: Nguyen Thanh Binh - Member of the Party Central Committee - Secretary of the Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee, Vo Kim Cu - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee - Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Le Thanh Long - Deputy Secretary of the Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee, comrades in the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, leaders of provincial departments, agencies, and districts and cities of Ha Tinh province. Folk song clubs of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces.

International and Central delegates attended the honoring ceremony

Leaders of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces and central ministries and branches attended the ceremony.

Central delegates attending the ceremony

Comrade Nguyen Thien, Vice Chairman of Ha Tinh Provincial People's Committee chaired the ceremony.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam speaks at the award ceremony

Ms. Katherine Muller Marin, Chief Representative of UNESCO Office in Hanoi, speaking

UNESCO representative presents Certificate of Recognition to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Nghe An provincial leaders awarded UNESCO certificates of honor to artisans - the owners of Nghe Tinh folk songs

UNESCO representative congratulates the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, leaders and people of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces.

Comrade Nguyen Thanh Binh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee, spoke

Vi and Giam are two types of folk singing without accompaniment that have been created by the Nghe Tinh community for hundreds of years. Vi and Giam are practiced in daily work and life such as lulling children to sleep, farming, rowing boats, spinning silk, weaving, climbing mountains, wading streams. Therefore, the songs are also named after activities such as Vi phuong vai, Vi do dua, Vi phuong cay, Vi leo non, giam ru, giam ke, giam ve...

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong - Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee spoke

Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs were recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at the meeting on November 27, 2014 in Paris, France. This shows that the world highly values ​​this special folk art form, and at the same time helps the community and local authorities to be more responsible in preserving, teaching, and encouraging the younger generation to actively study and participate in performing in order to preserve and promote this intangible cultural heritage in a sustainable way.

Speaking at the ceremony to receive the certificate and honor, comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong, Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee affirmed that the recognition of Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs by UNESCO is truly an honor and pride not only for Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces but also for the whole country. From now on, Nghe Tinh folk songs have appeared on the world cultural map, truly becoming a part of the world's cultural heritage.

Ms. Katherine Muller Marin, Chief Representative of UNESCO Office in Hanoi, affirmed that the nomination dossier for the intangible cultural heritage of Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs meets all 5 criteria to become a representative heritage of humanity and is highly appreciated by members of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. UNESCO hopes that the authorities and people of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces will take measures to promote the value of Vi and Giam folk songs of Nghe An, and implement the contents of the national action program that has been built for the heritage to develop further.

On January 31, UNESCO officially awarded the certificate of Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity to the Party Committee, government and people of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces.

Contemporary performance with the sound of Nghe An folk songs

Performances of the folk song club of Phuong Cay, Thanh Chuong district.

A large number of people watched the program.

Performances showing the working life of Nghe An people

A large number of people watched the program.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam affirmed that Nghe An is a land rich in cultural, revolutionary and studious traditions. The working people of Nghe An have composed and passed down unique folk songs, contributing to the formation of the character and spirit of the people of Nghe An, typical of the Vietnamese people.

On behalf of the Party Committee, Government and people of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, comrade Phan Thanh Binh, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee, thanked international friends and central agencies and departments for their recognition. In the coming time, the Party Committee, Government and people of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces will continue to make efforts to promote the value of Vi and Giam folk songs to elevate the values ​​of national culture, worthy of being typical intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

After the ceremony of awarding the Certificate of Recognition, the program honoring Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs with the theme "Returning to the Vi and Giam region" with special folk song performances with the participation of leading singers, artists, and folk clubs and artisans in the two provinces of Nghe An - Ha Tinh.

Dao Tuan - Nguyen Khoa - Sy Minh