Southern folk music and kite flying art add color to the Can Gio Whale Festival 2025

VHO - Southern folk music and kite flying art contribute color to the Can Gio Whale Festival 2025, honoring cultural heritage and promoting the image of a dynamic and unique Ho Chi Minh City.

Performing Don Ca Tai Tu at the Festival

Can Gio Whale Festival - National Intangible Cultural Heritage was included in the List since 2013, is one of the largest and most unique traditional festivals of fishermen in the Southern sea.

Every festival season, locals and tourists gather in Can Gio island commune to pay tribute to Whale – the sea god in folk beliefs and immerse themselves in the festival atmosphere imbued with Southern identity.

In 2025, in addition to traditional rituals, the Ho Chi Minh City Culture and Exhibition Center brought two unique folk cultural activities: Southern amateur music performance and Kite flying art performance, taking place from October 3-7, contributing to honoring and spreading traditional cultural values ​​to a large number of people and international tourists.

Southern soulful tones

Southern amateur music - an art form formed in the late 19th century on the basis of Hue royal court music and folk ritual music, is a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity recognized by UNESCO.

This art form is not only an entertaining cultural activity but also a profound expression of the soul, style and generous, open-minded nature of the Southern people.

At this year's Can Gio Whale Festival, the Don ca tai tu performance program organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Culture and Exhibition Center gathered many experienced artisans and artists such as: People's Artist Pham Thi Tuyet (Thanh Tuyet), Meritorious Artist Duy Kim, Meritorious Artist Hoang Kha, Meritorious Artist Phan Minh Duc, Meritorious Artist Ngoc Dang, Meritorious Artist Phuong Hau, Artist Lam Ha Hen, Artist Thao Vy, Artist Nguyen Thanh Tay, Young Talent Nguyen Nghiep, MC Nguyen Thi Chuc Linh...

The artists performed many typical folk songs such as Luu Thuy Truong, Phu Luc, Tay Thi, Xuan Tinh, Co Ban, Binh Ban Chan ,... along with familiar vọng cổ songs and cai luong excerpts: Da Co Hoai Lang, Re Ma Dau Mua, Dem Rung Sac, Ben Cau Det Lua, Tieng Trong Me Linh...

The performances praising the Party, Uncle Ho, the homeland and people of Can Gio were elaborately staged, leaving a deep impression on the audience.

A large number of people and tourists enjoyed the program.

Master Pham Thai Binh - in charge of editing the program shared: "Each performance is designed with a separate theme, both to meet the audience's enjoyment needs and as a way for us to show gratitude and continue traditional cultural values.

"Don ca tai tu is the soul of the South. The more it is performed in a folk festival space, the more intimate and emotional it becomes."

When kites tell cultural stories

Besides the profound amateur melody, the art of Kite Flying performed by People's Artist Nguyen Thanh Van and members of the Ho Chi Minh City Kite Art Club created a lively highlight for the festival.

Hundreds of kites of all shapes and colors, from flute kites, bow kites to kites simulating dragons, fish, birds... fly in the sky of Can Gio, recreating a joyful and open folk cultural space.

Kite flying art performance is one of the special activities at this year's Festival.

Each kite is a work of art, meticulously handcrafted from material selection, framing to decorative patterns.

People's Artist Nguyen Thanh Van shared that kite flying is not only a folk hobby but also a symbol of the desire for freedom and happiness, and is a part of the childhood memories of many generations of Vietnamese people. Therefore, the performance of kite flying in the festival has the meaning of evoking pride and love for the homeland, connecting the community through simple but profound cultural values.

The appearance of Don ca tai tu and kite flying at the Nghinh Ong Can Gio Festival in 2025 not only enriches folk cultural activities but also demonstrates Ho Chi Minh City's efforts in preserving and promoting intangible cultural heritages in contemporary life.

Through these activities, the image of Ho Chi Minh City - a dynamic, modern city that still preserves its national cultural identity - is vividly introduced to domestic and foreign tourists.

The Can Gio Whale Festival is not only an occasion to honor the beliefs of coastal fishermen but also an opportunity for the City named after Uncle Ho to affirm its role as a major cultural center of the country, a place to gather and spread Vietnamese cultural values ​​to the world .

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/don-ca-tai-tu-va-nghe-thuat-tha-dieu-gop-sac-mau-cho-le-hoi-nghinh-ong-can-gio-2025-172825.html