Nguyễn Văn Chung: Central Highlands inspire a lifelong artistic journey

A 40-member women’s gong team performed in Gia Lai province on October 20 at a special cultural event celebrating Vietnamese Women’s Day and honouring Bahnar women’s cultural identity.

Gia Lai will host a series of cultural festivals, sporting competitions and tourism events from October to December 2026, with a major gong festival, an international U23 football tournament and activities marking the conclusion of National Tourism Year - Gia Lai 2026 among the highlights.

Two couples in Gia Lai are helping preserve Jrai and Bahnar cultural traditions, sharing their skills in music, dance, weaving and basketry with their communities and showcasing them at festivals.

The 2026 Pleiku Mountain Town OCOP and Culinary Specialty Fair brought together local producers and buyers from October 16 to 18, combining a showcase of regional goods with traditional Jrai ceremonies, music and dance.

Gia Lai's Dam San Theater is staging eight cultural performances in border and neighboring communes from October 12 to 21, bringing traditional music, dance and the distinctive heritage of the Central Highlands closer to local communities.

Gia Lai Province has reviewed dossiers proposing national heritage status for the Trường Lũy Gia Lai rampart and national treasure recognition for two groups of Champa-era artifacts, as authorities move to strengthen the legal and scientific basis for their protection.

Kép village has been selected to represent Gia Lai province in Vietnam’s 2026 “Best Rural Tourism Destination” competition, as its Jrai community builds tourism around traditional crafts, food and village life.

Schools and youth organisations are expanding opportunities for young people to learn gong music and xoang dance, with regular practice sessions and new clubs helping pass ethnic traditions from one generation to the next.

Two contestants from Gia Lai, Lê Phương Nghi and Trịnh Ngọc Huyền, have secured places in the Miss Vietnam 2026 finals after being named among the top 25 at the national semi-final in Hai Phong on October 10.

Students at Le Loi High School in Gia Lai province have recreated the cultural spaces of Plei Ơp village using 360-degree virtual reality and artificial intelligence, developing a digital tour intended to make its heritage accessible by smartphone.

Women artisans in Bahnar and Jrai communities are preserving traditional music by making bamboo instruments and teaching young people to play gongs, taking on roles long associated with men.

Bahnar Kon K’Đĕh women in Vietnam’s Gia Lai province are finding new markets for their traditional brocade through tourism and adapting their products to customer demand while preserving weaving skills passed down through generations.

Pleiku Museum has agreed a partnership involving 30 schools and seven localities to give students regular opportunities to explore history and cultural heritage during the 2026-2027 academic year.

In the early days of autumn, as the intense Central Vietnamese heat begins to ease and rain becomes more frequent, An Nhơn takes on a gentler character. The Côn River winds through villages, carrying silt and memories of a land that was once an imperial capital.

Two stone lion statues from Mẫm Tower and a collection of Naga serpent reliefs from Dương Long Tower are being documented for nomination as national treasures, as researchers assess their significance to Champa art and culture during the Vijaya period.

Nearly 100 sixth-grade students in Pleiku Ward, Gia Lai Province, took part in a Mid-Autumn Festival program on September 22 combining books, traditional games and activities designed to promote reading.

Gia Lai province will promote the Vietnamese language and the cultural heritage associated with its development, including the destination described as the “birthplace of the romanized Vietnamese script”, under a new program targeting overseas Vietnamese communities from 2026 to 2030.

Gia Lai Province will hold its first province-wide singing contest in October, seeking to discover promising vocal talent and promote cultural and artistic activities across the province.

The scientific conference was organized by the Gia Lai Provincial Museum in collaboration with the Southern Institute of Social Sciences.

Traditional theater in Gia Lai is turning to history not simply to recount heroic figures and events, but to connect a younger generation with the past through the distinctive language of hát bội and bài chòi opera.

Lê Kiều Oanh was crowned Miss Vietnam Entrepreneur Talent and Beauty 2026 on September 10, as the seventh edition of the pageant concluded at the Gia Lai Provincial Convention Center.

Vinh An Village in Bình Phú Commune, Gia Lai Province, will host the “Weekend Gong Night - Enjoy and experience” program on September 11, offering locals and visitors an opportunity to experience the cultural heritage of the Bahnar people.

An exhibition in Quy Nhon has brought together cultural traditions, heritage and tourism products from 16 provinces and cities, offering visitors a glimpse into Vietnam’s diverse cultural identity.

An art program in Gia Lai on September 7 brought together traditional performances representing different regions of Vietnam, highlighting the country’s cultural diversity and promoting the image of its people and tourism.