The central highlands province of Dak Lak will be spend 48.8 VND billion ($2.34 million) to preserve and promote Gong culture from 2012-2015, an eightfold increase compared over the 2007-2010 period. Accordingly, the budget will be used to open gong classes for local ethnic minority children as well to build and sponsor gong cultural spaces in all localities in the province, reported the newswire Vietnamplus. In addition, the best gong groups will receive funding to preserve and restore traditional, native festivals in relation with gong performance. The province plans to organize gong festivals among villages as well as collect and record traditional performances of gong culture to be distributed among the communities. There are only 2,307 full sets of gongs remaining in the province, 2,000 less than in 1993. Dak Lak, the first province of central highlands aiming to preserve the instruments and its culture, has 3,855 gong artisans and 330 gong groups constituted by local ethnic minorities. The Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands of Vietnam was recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005. (thanhniennews.com Jul 8)
