A project to preserve the gong culture of ethnic minority in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong will be put in action from 2010-2015, according to provincial authorities.

The project, which will research in detail the kinds of gongs used among ethnic groups, will be co-developed by the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and various local agencies.

The project will also promote the government’s involvement in gong culture and raise people’s awareness of the importance of this unique art form.

Musicians and groups, both foreign and local, who help to preserve this local cultural heritage, will also be honoured.

As part of the larger gong culture in the Central Highlands, Lam Dong gongs represent the most prominent traditional and cultural traits of ethnic groups living in the south, including the Ma and CoHo.

Unlike other groups in the Highlands who use only gongs, the Ma and Co Ho gong set, or droong, includes the mbuot (a pan-pipe made from gourds, with 6 strings) and the dinh dio (made from bamboo, with six strings).

Gong melodies are used as background music for the elders of northern ethnic groups who sing songs based on their stories and epics.

A prominent cultural trait amongst ethnic groups in the south is that gongs are played by both men and women at the same time.

Meanwhile in the central region, the Bana, Ede, Gia Rai and other ethnic groups, gongs are played exclusively by either men or women.