Largest gong performance sets new Vietnamese record

The event was held as part of the Gia Lai culture and tourism week and the Gia Lai gong cultural festival.

The festival took place from November 11 to November 19 as part of efforts to honour the value of the gong cultural space in the Central Highlands region, which has been recognised as part of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage.

A performance gathered together 1,330 gong players from five localities, including Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong provinces, leaving a great impression on local people and visitors due to the unique cultural features of ethnic minority residents.

Gong performance is an art that is closely connected to the cultural history of ethnic groups residing in the Central Highlands along the Truong Son mountain range such as Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong provinces.

The Central Highlands Gong Cultural Space was recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2005. Three years later, UNESCO added the Space of Gong Culture in Central Highlands to the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The annual gong cultural festival held in Gia Lai is expected to help popularise and preserve the distinctive culture moving forward.