Communities of the Co Tu ethnic group living in Da Nang and Quang Nam Province will host the traditional Co Tu Cultural Day in Gian Bi village in the city’s Hoa Bac commune from 13-14 April.

In motion: A group of Co Tu women dancing in a festival at Gian Bi village in Da Nang. The traditional Cultural Day of the Co Tu ethnic group will be held in the village from 13-14 April . — VNS Photo Hoang Long

The village’s Party Secretary Dinh Van Nhu told Viet Nam News that the Co Tu communities from the villages of Ta Lang and Gian Bi in Hoa Bac Commune; Phu Tuc Village in Hoa Phu Commune, and Quang Nam Province’s Tay Giang District will get together in the annual event with a series of traditional cultural performance programmes and competitions.

On guard: A man demonstrates cross-bow shooting. — Photo courtesy Rose Travel

The event will run day and night with the ‘tan tung da da’dance to express gratitude to heaven, the ‘gong’ play of the Co Tu people, cross-bow shooting, stilt walking, tug-of-stick, tug-of-war, and folk games at the ‘Guol’ (long communal house) in Gian Bi Village.

Local artists will play the traditional musical instruments of Co Tu people such as ‘Khen’, pan-pipe; ‘tobheh’, a monochord; ‘aluot’, a flute with square holes and ‘bholua’, a horn.

Musical master: A Co Tu man plays the 'khen', or panpipe, in a village of Co Tu people. — VNS Photo Cong Thanh

Brocade weaving, crafts, fashion exhibition and cuisine—rice cooked in a bamboo tube, grilled pork and chicken, served with wild vegetables and bamboo shoots—will also be on display.

The two villages of Ta Lang and Gian Bi, with a population of 700 Co Tu residents, are slated to be developed as eco-tourism sites as they are located near the Ba Na- Nui Chua Nature Reserve.

Traditional taste: An old Co Tu woman cooks Com Lam, or rice cooked in a bamboo tube. — VNS Photo Cong Thanh

Da Nang, in co-operation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has been supporting the Co Tu community in building a community-based tourism pilot project with the aim of reviving the traditional culture of this minority ethnic group.

(Source: VNS/ DA NANG Today)