Attractive 4th Hanoi Ca Tru Festival

Opening of the 4th Hanoi Ca Tru Festival - 2025. Photo: D.X

In her opening speech, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports Le Thi Anh Mai said that this year is the 16th year that Ca Tru has been recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent protection. Since then, it has attracted the attention of the people, affirming the unique and precious artistic value left by our ancestors as well as warning about the decline of Ca Tru. Over the past years, Hanoi has always actively implemented measures to protect and promote the value of Ca Tru heritage.

In particular, in 2022, the Hanoi People's Council issued Resolution No. 23/2022/NQ-HDND dated December 8, 2022 regulating the treatment and support regime for "People's Artists", "Meritorious Artists", artisans and outstanding Clubs in the field of intangible cultural heritage of Hanoi city. The treatment and support regime for artisans and clubs in the field of intangible cultural heritage, including Ca Tru heritage according to this Resolution has many advantages and has received positive reception from the community.

This year's festival gathered 200 people. Photo: D.X

In 2024, Hanoi city issued Decision No. 2342/QD-UBND dated May 4, 2024 approving the project "Protecting and promoting the value of intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO in Hanoi city until 2025, with a vision to 2030", including Ca Tru singing in the list of urgent protection needs.

Hanoi is the locality with the largest number of artisans in the country who have been awarded the honorary title of People's Artisan and Meritorious Artisan in the field of intangible cultural heritage by the President, including the art of performing Ca Tru. The number of artisans awarded the title three times in 2015, 2019 and 2022 is 32 Ca Tru artisans (8 People's Artisans and 24 Meritorious Artisans).

In the fourth round of reviewing the conferment dossiers - 2025, the Hanoi City Council approved the list and proposed the Council of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to consider the list of proposals for conferring the titles of 08 People's Artists and 23 Meritorious Artists of Ca Tru singing.

“The festival aims to continue to contribute to preserving and promoting the value of this unique art form; encourage and promote the teaching and practice of Ca Tru at the grassroots level, and at the same time discover and nurture young talents,” said Ms. Le Thi Anh Mai.

Performances at the festival. Photo: D.X

Accordingly, the Organizing Committee has received registrations from 21 Ca Tru groups and clubs in Hanoi (compared to 12 groups in the 2022 Festival; including new groups such as: Ca Tru Huong Que group, Tieng Thoi Gian, Dan ca vi, Giam Xu Nghe...) and a number of independent contestants with 16 collective dance and singing performances and 105 contestants participating in the individual competition (compared to 2022, there were only 48 contestants participating in the individual competition and 6 collective dance and singing performances).

Contestants attending the Festival range in age from 8 years old (in dance groups) to 86 years old from Ca Tru Clubs in the City or from independent activities. The total number of participants in the Festival is more than 200 people.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/hap-dan-lien-hoan-ca-tru-ha-noi-lan-thu-iv-717503.html