Variety of festivals and performing programs

The Festival is coming very close and counted day by day. As this is the first festival, Hau Giang province has prepared a lot of festivals to honor the cultural beauty of Hau Giang in particular and of the Mekong Delta in general, to bring different experiences to the viewers. The emphasis of the Festival is the showing characteristics of people and culture native to an areas full of rivers and canals through events such as: cuisine festival, Ngo boat racing, re-appearing of floating market in the river, (Charming Ao Ba Ba) charming loose fitting blouse festival.

The South amateur music festival organized under the framework of the first Vietnam National Rice Festival will be participated by groups from 15 provinces and cities in the South: Tay Ninh, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, Long An, Tien Giang, An Giang, Ben Tre, Can Tho City, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Kien Giang, Soc Trang, and Hau Giang. The groups will perform and compete at the same time on outdoor stages within the Festival’s area. Each group has to compete in two parts: playing musical instruments and singing. The special features and ever-lasting vitality of this Southern performing art will be shown on the stage in the scenes typical to the South so the audience can forget themselves in the real spirit of farmers’ amateur music playing and singing in the after- harvest time. The groups are selected from the best artists of provinces and cities who have participated in many competitions in the regions and nationwide. They are expected to make good impression in the heart of the audience and to contribute to the quality of the competition.

Next attractive festivals are cuisine and the imitating of floating markets in the river. There will be about 70 stands presenting foods from all regions including rural dishes and dishes made from rice at the cuisine event. At this rich and diversified event people will feel satisfied and choose for themselves dishes of their taste. Through the foods they will see the ancestors’ skillfulness in changing simple ingredients to good dishes. Especially, the dishes will be more attractive, tastier, and typical to regions and areas under the skillful hands of the chefs at the festival. The imitating floating markets in the river will bring the audience to another cultural richness

Existing only in the Mekong Delta. Floating markets in the river is a place for selling and buying typical to the region of rivers and canals. There will be about 40 boats with various kinds of commodities such as: seedling trees, ornamental trees, produce planted by the framers themselves brought for sale. On all these boats, there are poles to hang commodities on as a kind of rural advertising. In addition, the southern amateur music programs in the river will be inserted to bring the audience to the space full of ordinary people’s spirits typical to the land and people here. Together with these events, the Ngo boat racing, a special and attractive activity, unique to the region of rivers and Khmer ethnic minority, will promise fascinating and fierce competitions. There will be 18 teams from the regional provinces of Kien Giang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, Soc Trang, … Especially, the host province will have a large and mighty force: 6 teams. At present, these teams are practicing under very high spirit to bring to the race tense and spectacular moments.

Besides the richness of activities mentioned above, there will also be a charming loose fitting blouse festival, an exhibition of art photographs by a number of professional and amateur photographers nationwide, an exhibition of statue groups, and some performing program with the participation of famous singers and artists from Vietnam and foreign countries. Additionally, during the Festival, people can go on boat tours to view Hau Giang’s landscape to know more about this land and its people. They can relax on the boats floating in the river, enjoy dishes original to the South of Vietnam, listen to and sing along honeyed Vong Co (longing for nostalgia) words, visit revolutionary places along the Xa No Canal. All are being prepared with cares promising to bring unprecedented things, uniqueness, unforgettable impressions I the hearts of people participating.

Article and photo: THAO HUONG