Seven Asian art troupes to join heritage avenue programme

Seven Asian art troupes from India, Japan, China, Bhutan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka are expected to perform at the heritage avenue programme hosted by the Vietnam Television (VTV) on May 12.

Hoa Dang dance, an important court dance in Vietnam under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945)

The event will take place at the Tam Chuc spiritual tourism site in the northern province of Ha Nam on the occasion of the United Nations Day of Vesak Celebrations (Vesak 2019). It will be broadcast live on VTV1.

The programme will consist of two parts, with the first themed “Vietnam – Buddhist land for thousands of years” and the second to feature “Heritage avenue”.

It aims to introduce the unique cultural heritage of Vietnam and other participating countries, such as the Hoa Dang dance, an important court dance in Vietnam under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945); the Odissi dance, one of the ancient dances of India; and Awa Odori dance of Japan, which is believed to date from 1586, illustrating the spirit of the samurai country.

Artists from Bhutan will bring to visitors the Cham dance, a traditional dance frequently performed in the biggest festivals in the country, while Indonesian artists will perform the Saman dance which bears the religious message of Gayo people in Indonesia.

Each performance carries its own stories about religion, land, and people of different countries from the past to the present.

All of them are intangible cultural heritage elements in the participating countries or have been recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

VNA