Cow race in southern province; Thai Nguyen praises outstanding cultural villages; Quang Ngai folk musicians to perform in RoK; Competition for young circus artists from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

The professional event’s first prize went to Nguyen Thanh Tai from Chau Lang commune, Tri Ton district, while the amateur event’s first prize was won by Mr Tran Van Dat from the same district.

The Bay Nui race is a custom of the Khmer ethnic community in this area. In the past, farmers here used cows to plough rice fields and held cow races for fun. Each pair of racing cows carries a rake driven by a farmer and they compete in a knock-out format.

The festival is held when the seeds for the year’s last crop have been sown and farmers have free time to train and take special care of their cows.

The festival attracts the participation of thousands of people from Tinh Bien district as well as the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City.

Thai Nguyen praises outstanding cultural villages

A ceremony to honour outstanding cultural villages was held by the People’s Committee of the northern province of Thai Nguyen on September 18.

49 typical villages which have had great contributions in the movement of building cultural village during the past 20 years were received certificate of merits by the local authority.

The hallmark in the work of building cultural villages in Thai Nguyen is the tradition of solidarity, mutual affection in poverty reduction as well as cultural identity preservation.

Promoting culture, arts, sport and tourism activities in rural areas

A co-ordination programme which aims to promote culture, arts, sport and tourism activities in rural areas in the 2009-2014 period was signed by the Vietnam Farmers’ Association and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Hanoi on September 18.

Under the signing content, the two sides will co-ordinate in mobilising funds, creating conditions for the Association’s member and farmers participating in buiding material facilities, cultural institutions… Thus, each village will have at least one house of culture and one sporting hall.

Besides, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnam Farmers’ Association will help build eco-tourism models in localities as well as promote reading culture among people in rural areas.

Quang Ngai folk musicians to perform in RoK

A number of folk musicians from the central province of Quang Ngai will perform on Jeju Island in the Republic of Korea (the RoK), from September 24-28.

Under an art and cultural exchange programme, the artists will play several kinds of traditional musical instruments such as flutes, horns and gongs, reported the Quang Ngai provincial Literature and Arts Association.

Audiences in Jeju will also have the chance to listen to folk songs of the Kor and H’re, two of the ethnic minorities in the province, the association added.

On the occasion, exhibitions of fine art from both countries as well as both provinces will also be on display.

The association’s Vice President Nguyen Thanh Tung, said that the cultural event will help to promote his province’s image to people from the RoK, and also maintain and expand ties between the two regional cultures.

Last September, a group from the Jeju Literature and Arts Union visited Quang Ngai and took part in a number of cultural activities in the province.

Competition for young circus artists from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

A competition for young circus artists from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia will be held from October 5 to 10 in Hanoi.

Artists who are under 25 years old can join the competition. Until now, 20 performances in acrobatics, balance and juggling have been registered, which, 12 items are from Vietnamese artists, two other four from Laos and Cambodia in representatively.

The competition, which is held by the Vietnam Performing Arts Department and the Vietnam Circus School, aims to provide a chance for artists in the region to exchange and learn from each other.

PV