The three-day festival co-organised by the provincial People's Committees of Nghe An and Ha Tinh aims to help preserve the thousand-year-old folk music, and prepare for the compilation of a dessier asking for UNESCO recognition of the music as part of the World Intangible Heritage.

Attending the opening ceremony of the festival on June 23 were Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung and other governmental and provincial leaders.

More than 20 top Vi-Dam singing clubs from across the region are participating at the festival, which also features arts performances by local and national artists drawing thousands of local people and tourists.

Vi-Dam singing, two kinds of folk music from the central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, often reflect the working and cultural lives of people in the coastal provinces. The art are treasured cultural heritage that feature vocalists singing in a call and response pattern.

Nghe An province has about 50 Vi-Dam singing clubs with about 2,000 members, who are the main people preserving these arts.

The two folk singing styles have seen a revival compared to 10 years ago, when fewer people practised the arts.

Vietnam now has six examples of intangible heritage listed by UNESCO as world intangible heritage, including Hue's royal court music, Gong space culture in the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands), the northern province of Bac Ninh's love duet singing, the Giong festival, Ca Tru ceremonial singing and Xoan singing.