Accordingly, the nomination dossier for the Via Ba Chua Xu Festival, Sam Mountain, has been submitted to UNESCO and will be evaluated at this session. And at the invitation of the Director General of UNESCO, the working delegation of An Giang province led by comrade Le Hong Quang, Member of the Central Executive Committee of the Party, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, attended the session.

Before the 19th opening session of UNESCO, Provincial Party Secretary Le Hong Quang had an interview with reporters of An Giang Radio and Television Station.

Reporter: Comrade Le Hong Quang, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of An Giang Provincial Party Committee, Via Ba Chua Xu Festival of Sam Mountain has become an indispensable part of the cultural and religious life of An Giang people. Could you share your feelings about the special value of the Festival?

Comrade Le Hong Quang: Via Ba Chua Xu Festival of Sam Mountain is an intangible cultural heritage of special value, not only for An Giang people in particular but also for the Southern community in general - closely associated with the 192-year history of the formation and development of An Giang province (November 22, 1832 - November 22, 2024).

Through “practical” activities, the Festival has “transmitted” to today’s generation a better understanding of customs, ethics, and social communication from stories of the process of reclaiming, opening up, and protecting the Southern land of the Fatherland, the worldview and outlook on life of our ancestors... Contributing to educating the younger generation about patriotism, love for their homeland, and respect for their native values,...

It is for these particularly important values that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh allowed to submit and we are currently defending the dossier to request UNESCO to recognize it as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Up to this point, in the Southern region, in addition to Don ca tai tu, which is the only heritage that UNESCO has included in the List of Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (in 2013), Ba Chua Xu Fstival, Sam Mountain, An Giang province (if it meets the criteria according to the Convention) will be the second heritage, and the first traditional festival of the Southern region to receive this honor.

Reporter: Yes, so what does UNESCO's recognition of the Ba Chua Xu Festival, Sam Mountain as an intangible cultural heritage mean to An Giang province, Sir?

Comrade Le Hong Quang: If the Ba Chua Xu Festival, Sam Mountain, An Giang province, is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, it will affirm the integrity, authenticity and outstanding global value of this unique Heritage.

This is an event of special significance, a great honor for the Party Committee, Government and people of all ethnic groups in An Giang province. Through this, it contributes to widely promoting and disseminating to the people and tourists at home and abroad the typical and unique cultural values of the land and people of An Giang.

That result is the most practical product towards welcoming An Giang Provincial Party Congress for the 12th time, term 2025 - 2030.

At the same time, this is also the pride of the people of the whole country, because the honored Heritage further contributes to affirming the diversity and rich values of Vietnamese national culture in the context of integration and development.

Reporter: Sir, after attending this UNESCO meeting, what programs or plans does An Giang province plan to implement to preserve and promote the heritage of Ba Chua Xu Festival, Sam Mountain?

Comrade Le Hong Quang: According to the spirit of the 2003 UNESCO Convention, communities decide on their cultural practices and that right must be respected. All activities related to intangible cultural heritage must be based on this principle.

Therefore, right after the 19th UNESCO Conference, An Giang will develop a Plan to "preserve and promote the heritage of Ba Chua Xu Festival, Sam Mountain", accordingly, the community will participate to the maximum extent in the activities of "practice", "transmission", heritage protection as well as management work;/ local authorities will create a policy corridor, mobilizing resources for promoting the values of the heritage.

At the same time, An Giang will urgently coordinate with domestic and foreign cultural organizations and researchers to continue to study and collect documents on the Festival and the worship to Lady of the Realm Sacred Mother in order to decode the "imprints" and related cultural symbols of the ethnic groups that "practice" the festival; Strengthen propaganda and mobilization work for the entire political system and the people of all ethnic groups in each community to deeply understand the responsibility to preserve and promote the heritage value of Ba Chua Xu Festival, Sam Mountain - An Giang province.

Reporter: On this important event, what message does the Provincial Party Secretary have for An Giang community to join hands in preserving and promoting this heritage?

Comrade Le Hong Quang: The festival of Ba Chua Xu, Sam Mountain is the common property of the ethnic community in An Giang, therefore, "treating heritage is treating ancestral traditions, the times and ourselves".

I call on all An Giang people to respect, preserve, promote and popularize the heritage of Ba Chua Xu Festival, Sam Mountain - considering this as their own responsibility towards their homeland and country.
    
Reporter: Yes, thank you, Provincial Party Secretary, Head of the Provincial Delegation to attend the 19th Session of UNESCO.

News by Cong Tinh

Translation by Hoang Oanh