Provinces in the Central Highlands of Tay Nguyen have carried out a range of measures in the preservation and promotion of the cultural space of gong, which was recognized by UNESCO as part of the world cultural heritage in 2005. According to the Department of Social Culture under the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands, ethnic minority people in the Central Highlands are keeping thousands of rare sets of gong. In the provinces of Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Kon Tum alone, ethnic people have preserved over 9,760 sets of gong. After the cultural space of the Central Highlands gongs was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible and oral masterpiece of human culture, the Central Highlands provinces built a project to preserve and promote the culture space of gong. Under the project, hundreds of training courses on gong playing have been organized in ethnic minority villages, and clubs and groups of gong players established. Dak Lak province reported that local Ede, M’nong, J’rai and Bru-Van Kieu ethnic communities have preserved 2,300 sets of gongs and 700 gong troupes are maintaining regular practice. The province also plans to invest over VND48.8 billion to preserve and promote the cultural space of gong. As part of gong preservation scheme, gong festivals have been held from communal to provincial level; and traditional festivals of ethnic minority groups related to gong reinstated. These activities have contributed to promoting gong culture and artists, and improving the local ethnic community’s awareness of the need to preserve and promote their traditional culture. (Quan Doi Nhan Dan – People’s Army July 11)
