A five-day festival will open at the Viet Nam Culture and Art Exhibition Centre this Saturday to mark the sixth Viet Nam Cultural Heritage Day.

Dubbed Hallmark of Thang Long – Ha Noi and the Youth with Vietnamese Cultural Heritage, the festival celebrates the country's rich past and young people's contribution towards preserving the nation's cultural traditions.

An earlier festival to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of the Thang Long Royal Citadel – which was recently recognised as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO – was a resounding success, organisers said.

On display during the festival will be artefacts belonging to the Thang Long Citadel that were discovered during the excavation of the fortress in 2002.

In addition, about 500 antiques dating from the Dong Son Culture (700-100 BC) to the Nguyen dynasty (19th-20th century) will be on show.

There will be also paintings and photos of Ha Noi, as well as publications and valuable documents kept at the National Library.

The festival has been co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; the People's Committee of Ha Noi; the Ministry of Education and Training; and the Association of Viet Nam Cultural Heritage.

Among the activities that will take place during the festival will be a calligraphy demonstration, a display of traditional culture and arts, folk games, music and dances.

Researchers will also hold a workshop on the day to discuss the preservation of Ha Noi's tangible and intangible heritage, such as ca tru (ceremonial singing) and Thang Long folk dance.

A performance in honour of Viet Nam's cultural heritage will be broadcast live on Viet Nam Television from the Au Co Theatre. (Source: VNA)