Welcoming friends ritual

In presence at the opening ceremony were Standing Deputy Secretary of Provincial Communist Party Committee, Head of Provincial Parliament Delegation Ngo Thanh Danh; Member of Standing Board of Provincial Communist Party Committee , Chairman of Provincial Viet Nam fatherland front Committee Dieu Xuan Hung; the cadres,  officials in the standing board of Provincial People's Council, Provinical People's Committee; members of Standing board of the Provincial Communist Party Committee; along with the heads of departments, agencies, associations, districts and town, businesses, athletics, tourism and local people.

The team for performing Gongs was  present all through the ceremony.

Bearing the theme of "Spring hue in the Highland of M'nong", the festival had over 400 artists, athletics from all localities of the province gathering and participating in it's diverse activities.

The  performance to open the event was the ritual of welcoming friend, which was chaired by a village patriarch, with the participation of artists and guests. The ritual of welcoming friend was held following the custom of M'nong ethnic group people, which includes antiphonal singing to welcoming guests, performing Gongs, offering wine, water to the guests…

Singing antiphony at the ritual of welcoming friend of M'nong people.

After welcoming friends, the event continued with the program of performing arts under the theme of "Dak Nong entering the festival", performed by artists, singers from the ethnic singing and dancing team of the province, which introduced the spectators to  a variety of  artistically unique and intriguing performances.

The performance art pieces are built around the theme of pride on the hometown, the country, the Party, celebrating the spring and the changes of the province.

The central activity of the event was the reappearance of M'nong people's ritual of praying for health. This ritual is often held at the start of each year with a view to praying for god and ancestors to endow people with health, without illnesses and deseases, and to give them a peaceful and happy life. The ritua was performed by the M'nong artists in Bu Brang village, Dak N'drung commune, Dak Song district.

Provincial leaders and masses of local people attend the opening ceremony

Delivering statement at the ceremony, Mrs Ton Thi Ngoc Hanh, Member of the Provinical People's Committee, Vice Chairman of Provincial People's Committee, Head of organizing committee of the festival underlined that the Spring festival was an activity of great significance, considered as the occasion for all the ethnic groups in the whole province to come together, exchange their culture, perspective, raising the mutual understanding  and strengthening the solidarity of the whole nation. Whereby, the members of Ho Chi Minh Communist youth union as well as the youth of Dak Nong province promoted their pioneering role , enhancing their consciousness of environmental protecting and contributing to preserving and promoting the traditional distinctive cultural values of the 40 ethnic groups, who are living in the mighty South Central Highlands province of Dak Nong, known as the hometown of the N'Trang Long Hero. The festival also confirmed the bursting and long-lasting vitality of the cultures of Vietnamese ethnic groups in general and Dak Nong province's ethnic groups in particular. The event, at the same time, was an occasion to attract tourists and investors to Dak Nong, with a view to impulsing the development of tourism, socio-economic affairs and preserving natural and cultural heritage values for the generations to come.

Vice Chairman of Provincial People's Committee Ton Thi Ngoc Hanh delivers speech at the opening ceremony.

After the opening ceremony, comes the traditional activities of the youths including showing recycled costumes, campfire dancing, and singing…

As set  by the agendas, from 23rd to 24th February, the Spring festival would hold a lot of contests such  as camping , weaving brocades, showing brocade costumes, making bamboo tools, cooking, performing art with Gong, jumping sand bag, stilt walking, tug of war, collective running…

Reappearing the M'nong people's ritual of praying for health

Particularly, the extended Kayak racing award of Dak Nong province would take place on the Center lake, with the participation of the team from such provinces as Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Dong Thap, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Dak Nong. Besides, the Spring festival would organize 14 stalls to introduce about the province's touristic products and potential.

The village patriarch prays to the gods and ancestors to bless villagers with health, peaces, wealth and happiness.

The village patriarch gives provinical leaders the bracelets, which are believed to bless people with health.

Provincial leaders drink wine to celebrate the opening of Spring festival

Dancing around the camping fire

Masses of people attend the festival

Athletics compete in the collective running contest

The camping site

Source: http://baodaknong.org.vn

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhàn