Nhan Dan – The first world gong festival will take place from November 8 to 11 in Pleiku city the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai.

Gong troupes from Vietnam, with several ethnic groups taking part, will give performances together with performers from regional countries such as Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia.

The opening ceremony will involve about 3,000 performers in Pkeiku’s Revolutionary Square. The performance will tell a story about the history of the province and its ancient gong culture.

During the festival, many activities, including religious rituals accompanied by gong orchestras, contests, seminars, and exhibitions, will be held.

The festival is to celebrate the Central Highlands’ gong culture, which was recognised by UNESCO as unique part of the world’s heritage in December 2005.