Lam Dong opens 8 training courses of gong; VND15 billion invested in building cultural houses at disadvantaged areas; Two bronze books found in a pagoda in Bac Ninh; Clothe decoration courses to popularize traditional cultural values

The Central Highlands Lam Dong provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has inaugurated two classes for teaching gongs in districts of Cat Tieng and Da Teh.

15 old artisans are Ma ethnic minority people who have a through knowledge about gong culture taught 70 young people from 15 to 30 years old in these two districts.

During the ten-day courses, participants will learn how to play gongs in performance environments such as festivals, rituals and customs.

So far, the province has organized 8 courses on gongs to preserve and promote traditional cultural values.

VND15 billion invested in building cultural houses at disadvantaged areas

25 cultural houses in 2 disadvantaged communes in 25 provinces nationwide will be built with capital worth 15 billion VND by the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Information.

25 villages are in the northern provinces of Bac Kan, Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Son La, Lai Chau, Hoa Binh, Vinh Phuc, Bac Giang and Thanh Hoa; central provinces of Nghe An, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue city, Phu Yen, Quang Ngai and Binh Thuan; southern provinces of Binh PHuoc, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang and Hau Giang.

As scheduled, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will fund 10 million VND per year for activities of these cultural houses during the two first years. Then, additional support will depend on the local budget.

Can Tho invests VND6.3 trillion in cultural development through 2010

The southern province of Can Tho has approved a project on construction and development of culture in the city through 2010 and orientations until 2020.

The project will include several outstanding works with a theatre, a library, the Mekong river delta museum, statues, and a park.

As scheduled, the capital for the project will be VND6.3 trillion, 50% of it to be mobilized from investors.

Clothe decoration courses to popularize traditional cultural values

From June 6^th to August 8^th, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology will continue to open two training courses on cloth and weaving to popularize the traditional cultural values of ethnic minority groups.

The courses will also encourage young people to study and improve skills for weaving, knitting and embroidery.

Products created during the two courses will be exhibited at the museum.

Participants will study objects of the ethnic minority groups displayed at the museum, learn basic skills to decorate clothes and create small cloth bags which can contain coins or hand phones; plait bamboo baskets.

The courses will be comprehensive and a review of previous courses.

In addition, Korean cloth decorations will be introduced during the courses.

Two bronze books found in a pagoda in Bac Ninh

While upgrading the stone temple at But Thap papoda in the northern province of Bac Ninh, painter Phan Cam Thuong discovered two bronze books of sculptured Chinese scripts.

The Department of Cultural Heritage and the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism preserved the relics and conducted initial research to asertain their historical values.

According to the initial investigation, the Buddhist prayer-book belonging to a monk were buried by Queen Trinh Thi Ngoc Truc at temple temple in the pagoda in the 18^th century.

Cultural exchange with E de people about their traditional house

On April 14^th, 14 people from the Ede ethnic minority group from the Central Highland city of Buon Ma Thuot and two workers at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnic Ethnology, participated in a talk about the traditional long house-on-stilt of Ede group.

On February 25^th, the 14 Ede ethnic people were invited to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology to repair this kind of house built by the museum in 2005.

This was an opportunity for researchers, students and people who are concerned about the Ede ethnic minority group and ethnic culture in the Central Highlands, to have an interaction with questions and answers.

In addition, participants also enjoyed several folk performances of the Ede ethnic minority group such as ayray singing, the choang dance, and a gong performance.

The Ede live in houses on stilts. The houses are generally elongated. The length depends on the number of inhabitants. Some houses are measured hundreds of meters. Structural framework has begun to appear as well as house built of wood or bamboo with thatched roof.

In recent years, the houses are tending to divide into signaler constructions with sheet iron covered roofs.

Each side of the house has a door. The entrance door faces the north or the road. The interior is divided into two parts. The main part, called Gah, containing the entrance door is reserved for receiving guests. The rest called Ok is divided into compartments, each for kitchen and for the couples. In each side also has a floor-yard. The yard lying in front of the entrance door is called guest yard. Anyone who wants to get in the house must pass this yard. The more prosperous the owner is, the more spacious and wider yard will be.

PV