Opening of the 1st Cultural Festival of Ethnic Groups with a Population of Less Than 10,000 People, Lai Chau Tourism

On the evening of November 3, at Lai Chau Provincial People's Square, Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (VH,TT&DL) solemnly held the opening ceremony of the first Cultural Festival of ethnic groups with a population of less than 10,000 people, Lai Chau Tourism - Culture Week 2023 with the theme "Cultural colors - Convergence and spread".

Attending the opening ceremony on the central side were comrades: Le Hoai Trung - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central External Relations Commission; Trinh Thi Thuy - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), Head of the Steering Committee for the 1st Cultural Festival of Ethnic Groups with a population of less than 10,000 people, Lai Chau Tourism - Culture Week 2023; Tong Thi Phong - Former member of the Politburo, former Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly.

Delegates attending the opening ceremony of the festival.

On the side of Lai Chau province, there were comrades: Giang Pao My - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Council, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Vu Manh Ha - Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Le Van Luong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Tong Thanh Hai - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Festival Organizing Committee... attending.

Scene of the opening ceremony of the festival.

Also attending were Mr. Vuong Nghe Lam - Deputy Head of the People's Government of Kim Binh District, Yunnan Province, China; businesses from 3 provinces of Northern Laos, Chau Hong Ha (Yunnan Province, China); representatives of central departments, ministries and branches; leaders of the People's Committee, Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the provinces and a large number of artisans, actors and mass athletes from 11 provinces participating in the festival; comrades in the Organizing Committee, Art Council, Arbitration Board operating the activities of the 1st Cultural Festival of Ethnic Groups with a population of less than 10,000 people, Lai Chau Tourism - Culture Week in 2023...

The festival was attended by 14 ethnic groups with a population of less than 10,000 people (Si La, Lu, Cong, Bo Y, Ngai, Chut, Brau, Ro Mam, O Du, Mang, Lo Lo, Pa Then, Co Lao, Pu Peo) from 11 provinces: Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Yen Bai, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Nghe An, Quang Binh and Kon Tum.

Comrade Trinh Thi Thuy - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Head of the Steering Committee of the 1st Cultural Festival of Ethnic Groups with a population of less than 10,000 people, Lai Chau Tourism - Culture Week 2023 spoke at the opening ceremony.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms. Trinh Thi Thuy - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Head of the Steering Committee of the Festival emphasized: The Cultural Festival of ethnic groups with a population of less than 10,000 people was held for the first time in Lai Chau province with the theme "Preserving, promoting and spreading the traditional cultural identity of ethnic groups with very small populations". Through the activities of the festival, a particularly meaningful cultural space was created, so that cultural subjects, artisans, actors, and athletes of ethnic groups with very small populations had the opportunity and conditions to meet, exchange, and share valuable experiences in preserving, maintaining and promoting traditional cultural values, making an important contribution to the building of Vietnamese culture and people, creating motivation to realize the aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country in accordance with the policies and guidelines of the Party and State.

Each of us has felt the joy sparkling in the eyes of the artisans, actors, and athletes of 14 ethnic groups from the distant Central Highlands, the Central region, from the highlands of the Northeast and the Northwest, gathering here to participate in the festival. With the spirit of exchange, learning, sharing experiences, together preserving, honoring, transmitting and spreading the good traditional cultural values of our people, not only within the framework of the festival activities, but more importantly, spreading this spirit in the daily life of work, production, and living in the community, so that the traditional culture of ethnic groups in general, and ethnic minorities with very few people in particular, will forever exist.

Leaders of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee presented flags and flowers to the delegations participating in the festival.

Comrade Le Van Luong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee expressed his excitement, honor and pride to be chosen as the host of the festival. We are deeply aware that this is a more precious opportunity than ever for us to witness the delegations attending the festival performing the most unique and distinctive cultural characteristics and identities; exchanging experiences, communicating and learning, in order to strengthen the great national unity bloc; honoring and promoting the core values of the fine traditional culture of 14 ethnic groups with a population of less than 10,000 people from 11 provinces across the country; raising awareness and responsibility of all levels, sectors and ethnic people in preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the community of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam.

Comrade Tong Thi Phong - former Politburo member, Permanent Vice President of the National Assembly experienced the cultural space of ethnic groups at the festival.

On this occasion, the Party Committee, government and people of all ethnic groups in Lai Chau province express their deepest gratitude for the sentiments, responsibilities and attention of the leaders, former leaders of the Party, State, central departments, ministries and branches. The sharing, companionship and coordination of localities, businessmen and enterprises have created favorable conditions for the province to develop rapidly and sustainably in the coming time.

Art program at the opening ceremony.

At the opening ceremony, people and tourists will be immersed in a special art program consisting of 3 chapters: Aspiration to rise with the great forest; Sparkling colors of the great forest; Lai Chau majestic festival. With special singing and dancing performances, vividly and realistically recreating the production labor, traditional cultural values imbued with the identity of ethnic minorities. In particular, the majestic natural beauty, the good traditional cultural values of Lai Chau people and the aspiration to rise for a bright tomorrow.

Miniature scene in the art program at the opening ceremony.

Coming to the festival, people and tourists will be able to participate in many cultural and sports activities rich in identity: Mass art festival; performance of traditional ethnic costumes; performance of traditional handicrafts; performance and introduction of festival excerpts, traditional cultural rituals; exhibition, introduction and promotion of local traditional culture; exhibition, processing and introduction of culinary arts; sports activities and folk games such as tug of war, crossbow shooting and stick pushing; tourism promotion and advertising activities and a meeting program to honor and commend outstanding artisans, people who have made many contributions to the work of preserving and transmitting the traditional culture of 14 ethnic groups participating in the festival.

After the opening ceremony, delegates and people joined hands in a circle of great solidarity.

Some images at the 1st Cultural Festival of Ethnic Groups with a population of less than 10,000 people, Lai Chau Tourism - Culture Week 2023:

Comrade Tong Thanh Hai - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Organizing Committee of the Festival to visit the Ethnic Cultural Space of Tuyen Quang province.