The event, the fourth of its kind held by Dinh LangViet (Vietnamese Communal House) Group, is forecast to gather thousands of clubmembers, diplomats, foreign students, international organisations, folk artistsand locals.
Le Mat village’s communal house on the easternoutskirts of Hanoi will provide a platform to showcase the main activities overthe two days.
Before departing for Le Mat village, theorganising board and foreign students will walk around Hang Luoc Flower Marketand some relic sites within the Old Quarter like Bach Ma Temple on Hang Buom Street,the Ancient House at 87 Ma May Street and Kim Ngan Temple on Hang Bac Street.
The event at Le Mat Communal House will includea ceremony to erect “cay neu” a tall bamboo tree. The bamboo polewill be stripped of its leaves, except for a tuft at the top, so that it can bewrapped or decorated with red paper for good luck. Bows, arrows, bells andgongs will be hung on the tree with the hope that the bad luck of the past yearis chased away and everyone has a happy New Year.
A traditional ceremony will also be held, as well as calligraphy and folksinging.
Artisans from host Le Mat village, whichspecialises in raising snakes, will perform snake dances.
Artisans from Kim Hoang Folk Painting Villagefrom Hoai Duc district will perform an ancient genre of painting. Participantswill have the opportunity to cook traditional food such as chung (square,sticky rice cake) and other traditional delicacies eaten during Lunar New Year.
Both men and women participating in thegathering are encouraged to wear the Vietnamese traditional long dress.
“The event aims to preserve and develop culturalvalues among Vietnamese people and praise the value of communal houses,especially the space around the houses which has been at risk of fading due tourbanisation and international integration,” said fine arts critic Nguyen Duc Binh,head of the group.
“Through the annual Tet Viet event, the groupwants to teach young people about traditional cultural values,” he said.
Interested people can register at https://www.facebook.com/groups/DinhlangVN/.Deadline for registration is January 22, 2019. The group is also calling forsponsorship and donations.
Le Mat village is located in Viet Hung ward,Long Bien district, Hanoi.
The event last year at So Village’s communalhouse, in Quoc Oai district, some 20km to the west of Hanoi’s centre, gatheredthousands of people including the group’s members, locals, tourists andrepresentatives from diplomatic organisations in Hanoi.-VNS/VNA