Must-see November festival in Vietnam

Name of festival: Gong cultural festival
Location: Gia Lai province in Central Highlands Vietnam
 

About the space of gong culture in Central Highlands Vietnam

The space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands of Vietnam is a region in which Tay Nguyen minorities value the relationship between their unique musical instrument and spiritual lives. It spreads in the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, and Lâm Đồng. The UNESCO recognized it as a Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity on November 25, 2005. It plays an important role in the spiritual life of ethnic minorities of Ba Na, M’Nong, Xo Dang, Co Ho, Ro Man, E De, and Gia Rai, etc. For these ethnic groups, the gong performance is a part connecting closely to their community cultural rituals and ceremonies. Based on ethnic people’s belief, ceremonial musical instruments and their sound are considered as a means of communication with gods and deities.

                                       Old man training his students playing Gong cutural Central Highlands

Gongs are mainly made of brass alloy or a mixture of gold, silver, bronze, and brass. The diameter ranges from 20cm to 60cm or from 90cm to 120 cm. A set of gongs considered perfectly has 2 to 12 or 13 units and even to 18 or 20 units in particular places.

Traditionally, gongs are played in the orchestra form. The orchestra has it’s a particularly natural sound-scale with 3, 5 or 6 sounds in common. However, apart from basic sounds, the gongs also have additional ones. In general, a 6-gong orchestra can perform fewer or more 12 different sounds which are solid and echoing. A gong orchestra needs to be performed in a wide space that creates the melody in a different pitch, length, and resonance.

Gong cultural festival’s attractions

Gong cultural festival is an annual festival to honor, preserve and restore the long-lasting values of the Central Highland gong culture space - Masterpieces of intangible and oral culture of mankind; to propagate and mobilize people of all walks of life to preserve and promote the traditional cultural identity of the community of ethnic groups in Vietnam. This is also the main socio-cultural event of the province to promote the image of Gia Lai to domestic and international tourists. At the same time, to attract more investment, development and local development.

                                                       Community in Vietnam central Highland
 

Activities at the festival:

Within the framework of the festival, many exciting cultural activities will be organized such as general art program, gong performances of 5 Central Highlands provinces; Street festival; Culture Day of Central Highland gong; a number of ceremonies and traditional festivals; performance of fine art of gong, folk wood carving, weaving, brocade weaving; epic performances, folk songs; exhibition of artwork and photos of foreigners on "Space of Gong Culture in Central Highlands"; exhibition of paintings, photos and materials on the life and career of painter Xu Man - artist of Gia Lai typical art; exhibiting and performing musical instruments of ethnic groups in Vietnam; Workshop on preserving and promoting the heritage value of the "Central Highlands gong culture space".

                                                                      Performance in Gong cultural festival

                                                                             Exhibition in Gong Cultural Festival

                                                                  Street activities in Gong Cultural Festival

                                                                       Children in Vietnam central highland

As part of the event, Gia Lai province will organize the wild sunflower – Chu Dang Ya volcano festival from November 10 - 13 with various cultural activities. Tourists will have a chance to enjoy the yellow colour of the wildflower – a symbol of the strength of ethnic people in the Central Highlands.

                                                                                           Wild sunflower
Besides, the province will launch the national gate at the Le Thanh international border gate, in Duc Co district, on November 9, while holding a street coffee program from November 8 - 11 on main streets in Pleiku city, a cuisine program featuring typical foods of the Central Highlands and regions across the country from November 9 - 11.

Traveling to Gia Lai, visitors not only have the opportunity to visit the beautiful scenery, enjoy the fresh air, but also have the opportunity to learn and experience the lives of ethnic minorities.