Around 1,800 Vietnamese and foreign martial artists took part in the fifth International Martial Arts Festival in HCM City on July 23-25 at the Sports Centre in District 7.

Thirteen international martial art troupes and another 85 troupes from Viet Nam presented performances and took part in competitions in individual, group and duel categories, with either bare hands or weapons.

About 1,000 martial artists performed during the festival’s opening ceremony.

Many localities in the country have longstanding martial arts traditions, including HCM City and Bình Định, Tây Ninh, Bình Dương, Đồng Nai, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Bến Tre and An Giang provinces.

The organising board awarded 900 medals of all kinds to the event’s excellent artists.

The event was organised by the city’s Department of Culture and Sports in coordination with the Viet Nam Traditional Martial Arts Federation. 


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The Văn Lang martial art troupe from Morocco took part in the martial arts festival in HCM City. 

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A performance features Vietnamese traditional martial arts.

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Young artists with swords performed “Ngọn lửa đam mê” (Passionate Fire) with music.

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Some 1,000 artists gathered to give a performance during the opening ceremony on July 23.

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Older people with their fan dances.

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A martial arts performance involving walking sticks.

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A foreign artist shows her skills in a fight with weapons.

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Artists received medals for outstanding performances.

VNS