International Gong Festival 2009 will take place in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai from November 12 to 15, promising a series of attractive activities. The event expects to attract 34 provinces and cities as well as five countries in the region which use gongs.
The festival is not only a large-scale cultural event of Gia Lai Province in particular and the Central Highlands in general but also one of the activities honoring the values of gong culture as part of a campaign to preserve and promote this UNESCO recognized heritage. The event also aims at promoting local gong culture and related gong performances to international friends.
The event will feature many activities such as gong shows, buffalo stabbing rituals and the Pothi tomb burying custom.
The opening ceremony will take place at 17/3 Square in Pleiku City at 8 p.m. on November 12 with the accompaniment of gong melodies and folk dancing and singing to re-create Central Highlands legends and history in building and protecting the country. More than 1,000 artists from around the country and international gong bands will perform in the opening ceremony.
The Central Highlands is in the beginning of its dry season now, the ideal time to discover its natural beauty, enjoy its delicious coffee and listen to the wonderful sounds of its waterfalls.
Saigontourist Travel Service takes this occasion to organize a three-day tour to join the opening ceremony of the festival and to explore the attractions. The tour departs on November 12 and is priced between VND2.7 and VND2.9 million, exclusive of air tickets.
This tour takes in a 100-year-old wooden church, the Konklor Suspension Bridge, the Yaly Hydropower Plant and Bien Ho Lake. By crossing the Konklor Bridge over the legendary Dak Bla River, tourists can take a stroll to visit the Bahnar Konklor Ethnic Village to taste ruou can (wine drunk out of a jar through pipes).
The tour also includes a visit to Minh Thanh Pagoda and the buffalo stabbing festival at the Ve Nguon tourist site.
Saigontourist has also organized a three-day tour departing from Hanoi to the romantic, mist covered, pine tree forested Central Highlands city of Dalat. This tour is priced at VND5.3 million per person, inclusive of air tickets, for groups of 30 or more tourists. There is a three-day tour to the central city of Hue priced at around VND4.2 million per person with stays in three-star hotels and VND4.5 million per person with stays in four-star hotels. A two-day tour to northern Hoa Binh Province’s Mai Chau District is available for VND790,000 per person.
Saigontourist Travel Service Add: 49 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, HCMC
Tel: (84-8) 3827 9279