The Opening Ceremony of the Sixth International Festival of Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts – Binh Dinh 2016

Martial arts performance at the opening ceremony (Photo: V.L)

Speaking at the opening session, Chairman of Binh Dinh People’s Committee Ho Quoc Dung emphasized, “Vietnamese traditional martial arts, including Binh Dinh traditional martial arts are special cultural heritages, formed and passed from generations to generations and attached with the national history during the construction and development of the nation. Together with the process of international integration, Vietnamese traditional martial arts have been developed all over the world, and Binh Dinh traditional martial arts have been recognized as the national intangible cultural heritage, which helps the international festivals of Vietnamese traditional martial arts with its initiation of Binh Dinh Province to continue to be strongly supported by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation.”

In the section “Rituals to honor ancestors”, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Thanh Tung lighted the torch to officially open the festival. The torch light shows the national traditional cultural characteristics, the tradition of respecting instructors and masters and the soul and virtue of martial arts athletes.

After the rituals, there were performances of martial arts, divided into three chapters: “Vietnamese traditional martial arts – the establishment and development”, “The spirit of Tay Son” and ‘Gathering martial arts land”. National and international martial arts athletes, instructors and masters have promoted their aspiration, quintessence and development of Vietnamese traditional martial arts through diversified and colored performances.

With the title “The festival of Vietnamese traditional martial arts”, the festival stands out the history of establishment and development of Vietnamese traditional martial arts in general, Binh Dinh traditional martial arts in particular.

Kim Yen