More than 300 artists are scheduled to perform during the three-day event, which takes place at the provincial cultural house.

However, according to the deputy director of the Bac Kan Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Dao Duy Duc, there are only four then singing old artisans still alive in the province, considered the cradle of then singing.

“While the old artisans are the ones who are able to sing the old melodies perfectly, the young artists are fascinated in innovations on the melodies,” he said.

During the past year, the province has paid greater attention to preserving this unique art form. One step was to form a group of then singing artists in Pac Ngoi Village – a Tay ethnic cultural village in Nam Mau District.

“These artists not only contribute to the preservation of this art form but also introduce the genre to foreign visitors,” said Duc. “Although I was born and grew up in this region, I am still fascinated by then melodies and the pure sound of the tinh instrument, which is the essential instrument to accompany then singers.”

During the opening ceremony, audiences had a chance to enjoy a special performance by four different generations of a single family as well as the performances of artists from different province

Another highlight was the performance of veteran artist Nong Thi Sam from Lang Son Province. The 68-years old, who started singing as a young girl, performed the song Ba Day Chau Hat Then (Grandma Teaches Her Grandson to Sing Then Melodies) in, appropriately enough, a duet with her grandson Chu Van Minh.

In addition to the performances, the festival will feature an exhibition of tinh instruments and costumes of then singers, and workshops will allow artists to share their experiences.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on November 8, President of the Saint Petersburg Chapter of the Overseas Vietnamese Association Le Dinh Vu said that through the Vietnam Culture Day, the chapter wants to introduce Russian friends to the beauty of Vietnamese land and hospitable people and further enhance the traditional friendship and mutual understanding between the two peoples.

Vietnamese envoy to Russia Nguyen Ngoc Binh emphasised that holding cultural exchanges such as this and the Hanoi Day in Russia, and the Russia Culture Day and Moscow Day in Vietnam, helps consolidate traditional friendship between the two countries.
The event includes an exhibition of products relating to gastronomy, traditional history, the Vietnamese people, religion and beliefs, fine arts and handicrafts and souvenirs as well as song, dance and music performances presented by Vietnamese and Russian students.

A ceremony to launch the camp was held at the President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum with the participation of over 100 young Vietnamese expatriates around the world.

The camp themed “Guiding torch” will last for to August 5 in 11 cities and provinces across the country,  including Hanoi, Phu Tho, Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, Nghe An, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Ho Chi Minh City, Tien Giang and Binh Duong.

Young Vietnamese expatriates will visit historical sites and landscapes, and join voluntary activities with their peer in the country.

This year’s activities will focus on the 40th death anniversary and 120th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh and the 20th anniversary of UNESCO’s recognition of Ho Chi Minh as national liberation hero, a world cultural celebrity.

The activities are expected to help improve the youth’s understanding about the Vietnamese history and tradition, as well as changes in their homeland.

The annual event is the sixth of its kind held by the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs. The first one was held in 2004.

The contest, which is first being launched outside Vietnam, will motivate participants to learn more about the history of the ancient city of Thang Long, now Hanoi, and about Vietnamese people, Loi said.

The contest will also be a chance for Vietnamese at home and abroad to express their patriotism for their fatherland, he added.

According to Editor-in-chief Loi, the deployment of the contest in Laos is an important event, contributing to increasing the special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.

Also on November 4, representatives from Hanoi Moi Newspaper and New Vientiane Newspaper signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which focuses on increasing bilateral cooperation between the two newspapers through the exchange of visits, personnel training and the provision of equipment and technology.

The two sides also agreed to work together to promote the millennial anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi and the 450-year history of Vientiane through their newspapers for the sake of increasing public awareness in each country on the other’s land and people.