Traditional horse racing in Bac Ha District in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai is among 10 newly recognised as ‘national intangible heritage’ by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
| Horse racers are striving to head towards the finish. The traditional game in Bac Ha District, the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai is among 10 newly-recognised national intangible heritages. |
Nine others in the list of ‘cultural heritage’ include a festival of the Ba Na ethnic minority in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum; a festival held in Dai Dong Commune in Vinh Tuong District, northern Vinh Phuc Province; and lace knitting in Thanh Ha Commune, Thanh Liem District in Ha Nam Province.
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| Bac Ha horses are considered the most beautiful breed in Vietnam. |
The horse racing event is held every spring at the foot of Ba Me Con Mount in the centre of Bac Ha Town.
It resumed in 2007 after stopping for a long period since 1980, with the aim of conserving and developing traditional cultural values and promoting the region’s image among visitors at home and abroad.
Bac Ha horses are considered the most beautiful breed in Vietnam.
Lao Cai had two other heritages listed among the 10, including the decorative arts on costumes of the Nung Din and Mong Hoa ethnic minority groups in Muong Khuong and Bac Ha districts, respectively. Both of them belong to the folk culture category.
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| A horse race in Bac Ha District Stadium. — VNA/VNS Photos Quoc Khanh |
The capital city of Hanoi contributed two events to the list, the traditional festivals in Bac Tu Liem and Nam Tu Liem districts.
Fish sauce production in the island city of Phu Quoc, Kien Giang Province, and a whale worshipping festival in Cam Xuyen District, the central province of Ha Tinh also received the recognition.
VNS
Hanoi has two more national intangible cultural heritages
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recorgnized two traditional festivals of Hanoi as national intangible cultural heritages – “Moc villages festival” and “The sisterhood celebration ceremony between Phu My and Kieu Mai villages”.
Bac Ha horse race attracts tourists
The final round of the traditional horse race on the Bac Ha Plain of the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai took place on May 31.
