Vietnam promotes lion-dragon dance to the world

The Vietnam Lion-Dragon Dance Federation, in collaboration with the Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao World Federation in France, has organised a performance, featuring spectacular lion-dragon dances and traditional martial arts in Paris.

The Novement 4 event aimed at introducing the Vietnamese folk dance to the international community. This was the first actvitiy abroad held by the Vietnam Lion-Dragon Dance Federation established on April 15, contributing to promoting the development of the folk dance art as well as the image of Vietnam to international friends.

Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van, Head of the Vietnamese Permanent Delegation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), beat the drum to open the event.

Lion and dragon dances, along with performances of Vietnamese martial arts sects in France, such as Vovinam-Viet-Vo-Dao, Son Long Quyen Thuat, Minh Long, wowed audience at the event.

Chairman of the Vietnam Lion and Dragon Federation, Master Pham Quang Long highlighted the history of the Vietnamese lion and dragon dance, while expressing his hope that the art will become a strong sport of Vietnam and be included in the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). He expected to soon establish the World Lion and Dragon Dance Federation so as to promote Vietnamese culture to the international community.

Chairman of the World Council of Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao Masters Tran Nguyen Dao said that Vovinam has been developed in Europe for nearly five decades. This is a favourable condition for the expansion of the lion-dragon dance to the world, he added.

According to Dao, it is necessary to develop the lion-dragon dance on the basis of martial arts associations, then gradually expand it to other groups. Itis meant that the lion-dragon dance can be expanded throughout Europe as well as the world via Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao.

VNA