Hoi An partakes in Andong International Mask Dance Festival

Local artists have brought Bài Chòi singing, a folk music genre practised in the nation’s central region and which has already been added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, to the stage in the RoK.

Meanwhile, art performances of Hát bội will help to introduce the traditional values of Vietnamese music.

Hát bội was developed from a folk art to a royal art in central and southern regions. Hát bội plays feature archaic words, whilst the characters are often made up with black and red on their faces.

The show also features performances of musical instruments and folk dances from across the nation.

The Andong International Mask Dance Festival is taking place in Andong, home of the UNESCO World Heritage-designated Andong Hahoe Village. The festival includes various cultural performances including the RoK’s mask dance drama, an intangible cultural heritage, and mask dance performances from around the world.

Along with watching performances, visitors can also participate in a variety of hands-on experience programmes aimed at learning more about the dances, masks, and related culture.

This year the festival began on September 27 and is scheduled to last through to October 6. It gathers together a total of 34 art troupes from 25 countries and territories worldwide, including Japan, Peru, India, Russia, Mongolia, and Vietnam.