Vietnam’s Saint Giong Festival has been recognized as Intangible Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Saint Giong Festival, a traditional event in the north, is held April 6-12 of the lunar year in several venues around Hanoi and attracts thousands of tourists. The biggest Saint Giong festival is at Phu Dong Village in Gia Lam District of Hanoi where the hero, Emperor Phu Dong was born. Legend tells that Giong and the people of Van Lang (the old name of Vietnam) defeated the An invaders. After the victory, Giong rode his iron horse up to the sky. To show the gratitude to the hero of Giong Village who sacrificed his life to fight the invaders, Vietnamese people honor him as a saint. The procession starts at the Mother Temple to Thuong Temple with the performance of a religious service at Kien So Pagoda.
The document for Saint Giong Festival was submitted by the Vietnam Institute for Culture and Arts Studies, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hanoi People’s Committee, the Department of Cultural Heritage, the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO to UNESCO in late August 2009.
Of the 54 nomination documents, UNESCO recognized 47 Intangible Heritages of Humanity in 31 countries. UNESCO named four for urgent safeguarding, three of these in China including Meshrep, the watertight-bulkhead technology of Chinese junks and printing with wooden movable type.
UNESCO’s list has 166 heritages of 77 countries, of them, Vietnam has four: Nha nhac Cung dinh Hue (the royal refined music) and Khong gian Van hoa Cong chieng Tay Nguyen (the cultural space of Gong), Ca Tru (ceremonial songs), and Quan ho (Love duets).
Source: TheSaigonTimes
