Vietnam villages: Recalling traditional daily life in Vietnamese villages

For some relaxation this weekend visitors can go to Van Thanh Tourism Park, just a few kilometres from downtown Ho Chi Minh city, to experience traditional food, festivities, culture, and folk games.

These activities are part of Ngay hoi que toi (the My Homeland festival), an annual food and culture festival organized by Saigontourist Holding Company and Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism. The festival runs from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. this Friday to Sunday.

For three days, the organisers will turn the large-space of Van Thanh into traditional Vietnamese markets, folk games and folk music areas and trade villages, recalling the daily life of Vietnamese people in the past. On this occasion, Van Thanh Tourism Park will also introduce more than 100 Vietnamese dishes from many regions of the country. Visitors can try foods from the country’s flat regions, the Northwest, and the Central Highlands and will also have the opportunity to learn how to make some traditional dishes.

In the park, a Vietnamese traditional rural market will be assembled to introduce visitors to the daily life of Vietnamese people in every region; a real market with street vendors wearing traditional costumes, calling out to attract passers-by.

On display in the trade village area will be examples of Vietnamese crafts such as basket weaving, ceramics, conical hats, brocade weaving, wine making and rice noodles. Guests will also be entertained by Vietnam Cultural Performances of folk music such as chau van, quan ho, ca tru, Hue music, the Central Highland’s gongs, Cham dance, Binh Dinh shadow-boxing, and others. Visitors can learn how to make toys from natural materials, such as paper boats and toys made from water coconut leaves and clay, and should not miss the folk games of the many regions such as walking on stilts, fish fighting, clay-pot beating, chess playing to name but a few.

Children who attend the festival will receive toy gifts such as pin wheels made from bamboo, paper bangers, paper and clay animals.

The festival is open this Friday to Sunday from 3:00 p.m to 10:00 p.m. A ticket costs VND 139,000 for adults, VND 89,000 for children.

(Source: ND)