The HCMC Cultural Heritage Department, the HCMC Academy of Music and HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism held international press briefs on January 4 to announce a seminar on don ca tai tu (southern amateur music).

The seminar will take place in HCMC from January 9-11 with the participation of more than 120 artists and researchers.
Organisers said it was an important part of the national documents submitted to UNESCO to recognise don ca tai tu as one of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Thirty-three speeches by representatives from France, Cyprus Republic, Germany, Malaysia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore have been sent to the orgainsing board so far.
The event aims to affirm and raise awareness of the Vietnamese people and foreign friends about southern amateur music.
It also calls for individuals and organisations to preserve and promote this kind of folk music, meeting the aims of the UNESCO Convention 2003.