From July 25 to August 6, the Department of Culture and Information of Huong Hoa district (Quang Tri province) organized classes to teach the art of gong performance of ethnic minorities for about 370 students who are members of traditional arts clubs of villages and hamlets in the communes of Huong Phung, Huong Viet, Huong Lap, Lia, Xy and Ba Tang.

Attending the classes, students were given an overview of gong culture in the lives of the Van Kieu and Pa Ko people; traditional musical instruments, traditional space for gong performances...

Artisans of Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups directly taught students about the art of gong performance such as how to chant, harmonize, arrange formations, and dances... to be able to practice gong performances in a complete and unique way.

The organizers hoped that these classes would help raise awareness among ethnic minority communities about preserving intangible cultural values; foster and improve gong performance skills as well as traditional musical instruments and dances for gong performances; create an environment to exchange experiences between traditional arts clubs; gradually restore the art of gong performance in the ethnic minority community, contributing to preserving and promoting the unique cultural features of the Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic people.

In 2022, Huong Hoa district organized 4 gong training classes for 291 students from 97 ethnic minority villages and hamlets, including 3 classes for Van Kieu people and 1 class for Pa Ko people.

To preserve and promote the cultural values of the Van Kieu and Pa Co ethnic minorities in the area, from now to 2025, Huong Hoa district will restore traditional festivals and establish gong clubs, organizetraditional vocational training classes

Specifically, by 2025, each year the district will restore at least one typical festival of the Van Kieu and Pa Ko people. It will also strive to establish at least 5 clubs to perform traditional arts of the Van Kieu and Pa Ko people; organize traditional vocational training classes such as brocade weaving, leaf enamel making, weaving, and making traditional musical instruments; organize 1 - 2 Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic language classes/year; building community tourism models to promote the cultural values of ethnic groups and combine tourism development.

Hai Yen