National ca tru festival to be held in Hanoi in August

A ca tru performance (Photo by The Duong)

A national ca tru festival will be held in Hanoi in August with the goal of preserving the UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage, according to a decision of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The event will be held by the Institute of Music under the Vietnam National Academy of Music in cooperation with relevant agencies and localities with a tradition of ca tru.

It also aims to investigate ca tru heritage in localities in line with commitments with UNESCO.

Ca tru has existed in 15 provinces and cities, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh city, Hai Phong City, the northern provinces of Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Nam Dinh, Phu Tho, Thanh Hoa, Thai Binh and Vinh Phuc, and the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh.

Ca tru, was recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding in October 2009. It is an ancient type of music featuring female vocalists. It is a complex form of poetry found in the north of Vietnam using lyrics written in traditional Vietnamese poetic forms.

Ca tru appeared in the north around the 15th century and thrived until the early 20th century./.

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