The festival will provide a better chance for Dak Lak province in particular and the Central Highland region in general, to popularize their culture and increase tourism.

A reporter from the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Online Newspaper interviewed MaiHoa Niekdam, Vice chairman of the Dak Lak provincial People’s Committee and head of the festivals organizing board, about the festival.
* Why is this festival significant?

This is the first festival and aimed at promoting and glorifying the gong culture, a culture specific to the Central Highlands that has been recognized as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO.

About 15 billion VND is expected to mobilized for the festival. As scheduled, gong performances, fashion shows, traditional games, an exhibition a seminar and a fair will be held during the festival.

The festival is aimed at not only strengthening cultural exchange and solidarity between ethnic groups in the Central Highlands but also nationwide. It will reaffirm the commitment of the party and authorities of Central Highland provinces in the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage in the region in order to develop its culture, tourism, economy and society at large.

* How will the festival affect the development of culture, tourism, economy and society in the Central Highland region in general and Dak Lak province in particular?

The festival will be a great activity, of political, economic and social significance. It will contribute to encouraging the local people, especially ethnic people, to be active in the period of national construction.

For a long time, gongs have been associated with the cultural life of the local people. The gong is not only a musical instrument but also a tool to connect people with their religion. Therefore, the preservation of gong culture means preserving the community, stabilizing the culture, politics and society in the Central Highlands.

The festival is expected to attract a large number of tourists, and a number of domestic and foreign investors, helping to promote economic tourism and trade and reducing the financial gap between the highlands and the lowlands.

* What does the province do to preserve and promote this cultural heritage?

After its recognition as a world cultural heritage, Dak Lak as well as the Central Highland provinces, have introduced programmes and a commitment to preserve the culture surrounding gongs.

The province has brought in policies for families and people who keep gongs and play gongs, and has organized training courses on how to play the gong.

The provincial People’s Committee has introduced a project to promote the values of the gong cultural heritage from now until 2010 with an investment of about 6 billion VND.

Then, the province will continue with projects to preserve and promote the gong cultural heritage, actively contributing to preserving and creating a diverse Vietnamese culture imbued with its own national identity.

* Thank you very much!

Source: Kim Thoa - Communist party of Vietnam Central Committee