Attending the event were 200 delegates who are villagepatriarchs and chiefs, intellectuals and artisans representing 21 ethnic groupsfrom 14 cities and provinces nationwide.
In his speech, the President lauded the Ministry of Culture,Sports and Tourism; the management board of the village and ethnic groupsliving in the village for contributing to the preservation and development ofthe traditional Vietnamese culture, saying that the festival has attracted tensof thousands of visitors over the past years.
He wished that village chiefs, artisans, religiousdignitaries and prestigious people representing ethnic groups and localitieswould actively work to raise public awareness of the Party and State policiesand guidelines to contribute to national development.
The State leader asked ministries, agencies and massorganisations from the central to grassroots level to assist ethnic groups insocio-economic development, education, culture and health care.
On the occasion, he planted a tree in Muong ethnic villageand launched the Gau Tao festival of the Mong ethnic group in the northern mountainousprovince of Ha Giang.
Gau Tao, held to thank godsfor granting good health to families and villages, is one of the largesttraditional festivals of Mong ethnic people. It combines almost all types offolk cultural activities of the group and has been recognised as part of thenational intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports andTourism.
The spring festival at theethnic cultural village will feature a wide range of activities, spotlightingthe traditions, customs and spring festivals of 54 ethnic groups across thecountry.
Another major activity willbe a praying ceremony where monks from Khmer pagodas will pray for peace andblessing.- VNA