Phu Giao District holds cultural and sports festival of ethnic minorities

To celebrate the 48th anniversary of the the Southern liberation and the the National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2023), the 133rd President Ho Chi Minh's birthday (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2023) and Literature Day of Vietnam ethnic minorities (April 19), Phu Giao district hosted the sixth Culture - Sports Festival of ethnic minorities 2023. During two days April 19 and 20, with many joyful activities, full of solidarity, the festival ended and promises to have more special activities next time.

Ethnic Minorities’ Festival of Culture and Sports in Phu Giao District 2023 takes place with great enthusiasm and solidarity.

Many buoyant activities

For many years, once every three years, in April, Phu Giao district organizes a traditional cultural festival of ethnic minorities to honor the cultural identity of ethnic minorities living in the district. Therefore, the festival is considered as a great festival of ethnic minorities in order to arouse pride in the origin, preserve, and promote diverse cultures of ethnic groups. This is a meaningful activity creating a chance for ethnic minorities to exchange and learn from each other, help each other to make progress in production, step by step meeting the needs for enjoying cultural and spiritual values in the district.

Nguu Bu, representing ethnic minorities in An Binh commune, said: “In An Binh commune today, there are several ethnic groups such as: Khmer, Thai, Tay. The festival is a very meaningful activity that shows the Party and State's interest in our ethnic minorities. We are given the opportunity to celebrate the festival, immerse ourselves in traditional cultural activities together with other ethnic groups, and learn more interesting things, new cultural features enriching our spiritual cultural life".

Pham Van Nghia, Head of Culture and Information Office of Phu Giao district, said that this festival had more than 720 actors, artisans, and athletes from 11 communes and towns in the district, and 4 delegations from other localities (Dong Phu district, Loc Ninh district of Binh Phuoc province, Thu Dau Mot city, and Dau Tieng district). During two days of the festival, ethnic minorities gathered, had fun together, and competed their talents through exciting folk games and sports such as: procession of Tam Lap Commune Youth Union, tug of war, sack dance, walking on stilts, pushing sticks, football, singing and dancing, ethnic costume performance, and beautiful camp competition.

“Especially, on the opening night of the festival (April 19), ethnic minorities met and exchanged together through many activities such as: festival opening, stall dancing, collective dance and singing of ethnic communities, gong performances, ethnic musical instrument concerts, and ethnic food exchanges. The festival took place in a joyful atmosphere, full of solidarity, creating a lively and exciting competitive atmosphere and leaving many good impressions," said Mr. Pham Van Nghia.

Contributing to building the great solidarity

La Van Su, representative of San Chay ethnic group in Tam Lap commune, said that the festival created a chance for ethnic minorities to exchange cultures and learn experiences in production and business to improve their lives. The festival also contributes to building a closer national unity bloc. In recent years, the Party and State have always paid special attention to the daily life of ethnic minorities in the whole district. There are policies and projects implemented with practical effects. Since then, many households have improved their lives and escaped poverty.

According to Tran Hong Dung, Vice Chairwoman of Phu Giao District People's Committee, the district has 19 ethnic groups with more than 4,190 people living in the Kinh community. In recent years, as implementing the policies of the Party and the State on ethnic affairs, the district has paid attention and invested in ethnic minority areas, such as: building rural roads, support in production land, housing, and domestic water with the aim of helping ethnic minorities in the district to overcome difficulties and escape poverty by their own labor.

In addition, cultural and sports activities are also organized. In particular, the movement of the whole people to unite to build a cultural life in residential areas was agreed and responded by the people, including ethnic minorities, contributing to building a cultural family, cultural area, many outdated customs have been gradually eliminated.

This year's Ethnic Minorities Festival of Culture and Sports in Phu Giao District was organized to create favorable conditions for people to exchange cultures, learn experience in production and business, contribute to improving their lives, and also to meet the people’s demand for cultural enjoyment and understanding of the diverse and rich cultures of Vietnamese ethnic groups, contributing to better implementation of the building of the great national unity bloc of Vietnam in the district.

Reported by Hong Thuan - Translated by Ngoc Huynh