Experience folk culture at the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival

Hat Van performance by artists from Hai Phong Traditional Theater at the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival. Photo: THANH CHUNG

Full of folk colors at the festival

In the fresh autumn weather, under the rustling pine trees of Con Son and beside the gentle Luc Dau Giang River, the 2025 Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival is more bustling than ever. A series of folk art programs are continuously held, bringing visitors unique cultural experiences. Water puppetry, Cheo singing, Van singing, Xam singing, Ca Tru singing... not only revive the traditional cultural space but also make the festival a meeting of unique cultural values.

In the first nights of the festival, when autumn mist lingered on Kiep Bac Lake, the stage of the Culture, Tourism and Trade Promotion Week was brightly lit. Hundreds of locals and tourists stood around the performance area, the sound of festival drums mixed with clappers and the melodious two-stringed fiddles opened the series of folk art programs.

The performance by the Dong Cheo Theatre brought a lot of emotions to the first night, from the "Uy linh Van Kiep - Con Son" singing performance, to the "Vo chong thuyen cai" play and many other special performances that helped visitors and locals live in an atmosphere rich in traditional folk culture. The Cheo singing resounded in the heritage space as if blending with the bells of Con Son pagoda and the drums of Kiep Bac festival, creating an emotional cultural resonance. "This is the first time I have directly listened to the singing performance at the festival. It feels like I am reliving a part of the nation's past. The ups and downs of the melody are very attractive," said Ms. Nguyen Thu Hang, a tourist from Hanoi .

Equally prominent are the water puppet shows of the two puppet troupes Thanh Hai and Hong Phong, which also bring interesting experiences to visitors. At the Thuy Dinh house of Kiep Bac lake, the puppet troupes bring many impressive performances such as "Buffalo fighting festival", "Bach Dang Giang's heroic spirit"... which delight the audience.

Notably, singing programs such as hat van and ca tru – genres recognized by UNESCO as intangible heritage – were also introduced to a wide audience at the festival.

Bringing folk culture into the festival not only brings a rich and attractive atmosphere to the festival but also has great significance in preserving heritage. Many types of folk art that were thought to only exist in the narrow space of the countryside are now widely introduced to tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world.

Mr. Tran Quoc Kien, Deputy Director of the Traditional Stage Theater, said: “Each traditional art performance included in the festival is carefully considered to be suitable for the solemn atmosphere and to promote folk values. This is also an opportunity for artisans to exchange, teach and spread love of culture to the community. Performing at the festival, the artists and actors of the theater all feel proud, everyone tries to bring the best and highest quality performances.”

In fact, many young tourists expressed their interest in accessing traditional arts. Cheo or Xam singing performances attract a large number of young people to watch, record and share on social networks, contributing to further promoting the national cultural heritage. Mr. Tran Minh Hoang, a tourist from Quang Ninh, commented: “I used to only hear about Xam singing in books, but now seeing the artists perform with my own eyes, I can feel the sophistication of this art form. I think programs like this need to be expanded so that more people know and are proud of national culture.”

festival-customs(1).jpg — Many water puppet troupes participate in performances at the Water House of Kiep Bac Temple. Photo: DO TUAN

Spreading values, affirming identity

This year, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism organized a series of folk art programs during the 12 days of the festival at the relic site. At the stage in the relic site, people and tourists from all over the world enjoyed the bustling performances, connecting with the sacred atmosphere of the festival.

From the practice of organizing the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival this year, it can be seen that bringing folk art into the festival space brings many positive aspects. That affirms the role of folk culture in contemporary life. "Cheo melodies, Van songs or Ca Tru clappers are not only preserved in books but also vividly recreated with the participation of the community. In addition, bringing folk culture into the festival contributes to attracting tourists, creating a special highlight for the festival", Mr. Tran Quoc Kien added.

Tourists come to Con Son - Kiep Bac not only to commemorate the merits of their ancestors but also to enjoy a rich and colorful cultural atmosphere. The festival is also an environment that contributes to connecting artisans and the younger generation, nurturing a passion for folk culture.

It can be affirmed that the performance of folk culture at the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival creates a "picture" that is both solemn and brilliant. This is a testament to the strong vitality of heritage in contemporary life, and at the same time a reminder for every citizen of the responsibility to preserve and maintain the quintessence of their ancestors. The leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism commented that the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival is a traditional spiritual cultural event that is very suitable for the values of folk culture to shine. The continuous performances not only serve tourists but are also a way to revive traditional art forms, so that heritage truly accompanies contemporary life.

DUC HUY

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/trai-nghiem-van-hoa-dan-gian-o-le-hoi-mua-thu-con-son-kiep-bac-522828.html