Traditional cultural values upheld in Hai Duong walking zone

Clay firecracker making - one of the folk games that attract a large number of visitors to Bach Dang walking zone

Two traditional cultural venues of the provincial Museum outside the provincial Library have always impressed visitors to Bach Dang walking zone (BDWZ) since its opening.

One venue is for traditional crafts and folk games like pottery, rice flake making, pot breaking, and loach catching, and the other for traditional kiosks selling tea, eugenia, peanut candies, etc.

Items in the kiosks are mainly made of bamboo, somewhat recreating the countryside in the old days.

A special folk music performance in Bach Dang walking zone

A lot of elderly people who have lived in the city for more than half a century are very interested in this unique space.

Many young people are also eager to learn about fine cultural characteristics of their hometown through the venues.

In addition to modern art shows and games, there always is appropriate space for traditional ones in BDWZ.

Those are performances of Tu Ky clay firecracker makers, Vietnam Buddhist Martial Arts School, ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) shows, hat van (spiritual singing), tuong (classical drama), and cheo (traditional operetta) items performed by art troupes inside and outside the province…, attracting crowds of spectators.

Two kids and their parents learn and play the game “o an quan” (a mind game between two players that involves tactical thinking) in the walking zone

Nguyen Thi Be, a cultural manager and researcher from Ha Nam province, has been to many pedestrian zones throughout the country. She first visited BDWZ last June.

“Each walking zone has its own characteristics, but all of them are animated. Among them, the one in Hai Duong city has the richest and most special cultural and artistic space, making it very popular,” said Be.

Contemporary and traditional genres are alternated in harmony, meeting cultural enjoyment needs of all strata and ages, which demonstrates the city’s attention to preserving traditional cultural values, Be added.

Up to 160 cultural and art clubs inside and outside the province have registered to perform in BDWZ since its opening three months ago, according to Director of the city Culture, Information, and Sports Center Nguyen Thi Sam.

Folk games are frequently held in Bach Dang walking zone to provide children with a useful playground to learn about traditional cultural values, thereby loving their hometown and country more

“The walking zone has been proving to be a good environment for traditional artistic and cultural genres to have new vitality in modern life,” said Sam.

The opening ceremony of BDWZ featured a performance by ethnic minorities from Yen Chau district, Son La province.

The Vietnam Music Development Center held a special folk music show in the zone at the beginning of July.

Eventually, BDWZ will become a rendezvous for preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values of various localities, not just Hai Duong’s.

TIEN MANH