HCM City (VNA) - The Vietnamese troupe performances at the recently concluded Smithsonian Folklife festival in the US were a resounding success, said Dr. Le Thi Minh Ly, deputy director of the Ministry of Culture and Information's Cultural Heritage Department.
Ly, who was head of the Vietnamese delegation to the festival, made the comment at a press conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on July 11 after the troupe returned home from their trip.
The Vietnamese contingent included 39 artists from 11 differing intangible cultural heritages were the focus of a great deal of attention from festival goers as they presented performances based on folk songs, dance, music and handicrafts.
The Ba Na people showcased Tay Nguyen Gong and dug-out canoe making, unicorn, lion and dragon dances were performed by the Hoa people, "Ro bam" dance by the Khmer, brocade making by the Cham and fishing-basket weaving by the Thai people.
Director of the Smithsonian Centre for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Richard Kurin, said that the Vietnamese artists are true cultural ambassadors that heighten the festival significantly and aid Americans in better understanding Viet Nam and its people and culture.
The festival that has been an annual event in the US capital since 1967 was held in the Capitol Mall in Washington , DC from June 26-July 8.
Viet Nam was joined by the four other countries of the Mekong River basin, Cambodia, Laos , Thailand and China in the " Mekong River : Connecting Cultures" programme of the festival.
This year a record 1.6 million visitors turned out for the cultural showcase.-Enditem
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