Published:  00:00 Saturday - October 10, 2009

The Central Highland region is busy preparing for the 2009 International Gong Festival which will take place in Gia Lai next month. A VOV reporter interviewed Mang Dung, vice chairman of the Gia Lai provincial People’s Committee about the festival.

VOV: Can you tell us about the province’s preparations for the event?

Mr Dung: This is the first time Gia Lai will hold the International Gong Festival. Every week, the provincial authorities check the preparations. We have also launched a number of programmes to promote the event and designed tours to guide tourists.

So far the province has prepared more than 1,600 hotel rooms to accommodate visitors. If there are a lot of tourists, the province will transport them to Kon Tum by bus. The festival is expected to attract around 30,000 guests.

VOV: With a wide range of activities, isn’t this a good chance for the province to promote its image to domestic and foreign friends?

Mr Dung: That’s true. Gong culture is a bridge for countries around the world to unite through mutual understanding. The festival will help the province to promote itself. We want friends to gain a better understanding of the province’s culture in order to help the province preserve and promote our unique gong culture.

VOV: At many festivals, national culture heritages are not kept true to their origin. What will the organising board do to avoid this problem?

Mr Dung: If Vietnam wants to promote gong culture to international friends it must perform it authentically. Currently, some hamlets still exchange gongs performances. Thus, the gong stage does not lose its origin. It is simply performed in another cultural space for people to enjoy.

VOV: How does Gia Lai province preserve and develop Gong culture in the middle of modern life?

Mr Dung: We must remember that the origin of gong culture as shown by research. To serve tourism purposes, Central Highland dances should be based on their origin. Gong is the flesh and blood of Central Highlanders. The Party and State have issued policies to preserve and promote gong cultural values. Traditional culture will never fade into oblivion because it is forever the foundation for people living in the Central Highlands.

VOV: Thank you very much