Image for illustration

The Mong Ethnic Cultural Festival is considered as Ha Giang Province’s first event in 2017, aiming to preserve, promote and honour the cultural values and traditions of the Mong ethnic group.

Visitors who are interested in exploring cultural values got a chance to take part in many unique activities such as the Gau Tao festival and the Khen (a type of wind instrument) dancing festival, as well as to learn about and experience traditional crafts, in addition to enjoying folk games such as tug of war and goat fights.

The organisers of the event are taking the opportunity to raise public awareness on preserving Mong customs and practices at Dong Van Plateau, which has attracted a great number of visitors. The event runs until February 5.

According to Nguyen Cao Cuong, chairman of Meo Vac District people's committee, after the success of the cultural festivals of the Mong group last year, this year's event is hoped to develop Vietnamese culture filled with national identities as well as to promote tourism.

Viet Nam has about 800,000 Mong people, one of the country’s ethnic minorities with a large population. Most Mong people live in mountainous areas at a height of 700 metres to 1,500 metres above sea level in the north, north-central and Central Highlands regions.