It has been 2 decades since UNESCO has dubbed the Vietnamese highland tradition of gong playing as a masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The gong is an essential tool for most rituals, ceremonies, and festivals located in the Tay Nguyen highlands of Vietnam and its provinces. The people who live in the local communities situated here also believe that the sound that the gongs produce is a language that connects the supernatural and our mortal realm. The gong itself also symbolizes wealth and health.
In celebration of this unique tradition, Lam Dong will be hosting the 2025 Southeast Asian Gong Festival, bringing together 15 gong troupes (520 artisans and performers) from various UNESCO creative cities. The event aims to preserve and promote the traditional craft and ethnic minorities involved in gong performance.
Included in the festival’s programme are gong performances during the Lam Dong Ethnic Groups’ Cultural Day on November 21 to 22 and at the Southeast Asian Gong Gala at Lam Vien Square in Xuan Huong on December 20. There will also be Coffee and Heritage Day and a fashion show presenting traditional costumes on December 18 to 20 at Lâm Viên Square and on December 19 at the Pini Tourism Area in Xuan Huong, respectively.
Visit Lam Dong this November and December and experience a cultural festival of gongs!