Cultural programme «Về miền Tây qua nét văn hóa của đồng bào Khmer» (Khmer culture of the Mekong Delta)

   The Mekong Delta gets rebuilt on a hillside 40 km west of Hanoi for a month: Sa dam drums, the five-tone ngũ âm orchestra, bánh xèo frying in the open air and a gold Theravada pagoda above Đồng Mô lake. If you have been meaning to see southern Vietnam but have only a free afternoon, this is the shortcut.

   The programme brings together more than 100 people from 16 ethnic groups who live and work at the Village year-round, plus about 30 Khmer and Kinh performers travelling up from Cần Thơ for the weekend of 22–23 August.

   The centrepiece is a re-enactment of the Thắk côn festival, a Khmer rite listed as national intangible cultural heritage. It runs from 9:00 to 10:00 on Sunday 23 August, processing from the Khmer village to the Khmer pagoda in Ethnic Villages Area III. Thắk côn is a blessing ceremony rooted in farming belief — a request for steady rain and a full harvest.

   Weekend highlights through the month:

   — 1–2 August: «Điệu xòe thương nhau», folk song and dance of the northern highlands, at the Thái village;

   — 8–9 August: «Buôn làng kể chuyện» and the outdoor piece «Vườn tượng biết kể chuyện», a Central Highlands programme at the Tà Ôi village and the Central Highlands Sculpture Garden;

   — 15–16 August: «Giấc mơ đại ngàn», Central Highlands folk performance at the Raglai village;

   — 22–23 August: the «Về miền Tây» exchange on the lawn beside the Khmer pagoda — ngũ âm orchestra, Sa dam drums, Rom vông dancing, Đờn ca tài tử chamber music, husking green rice flakes, and Mekong street food.

   A walk-in Khmer cultural space stays open for the whole period at the Khmer village and pagoda complex: Theravada architecture, Rô băm and Rom Vông dance, folk singing, conversations with the monks, traditional dress and handicrafts.

   This works well for families with children, for photographers, and for anyone who wants a grounded look at Vietnam's ethnic communities without a long trip. On ordinary weekdays the resident groups still keep daily life going — crafts, instruments, songs, games and regional food.

   The Village is a national cultural centre recreating the life of all 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups, spread over hills by Đồng Mô lake, roughly an hour's drive west of the city centre. Tickets are priced by visitor category and children under six enter free. Go on a weekend if you want the performances; go midweek if you want the place almost to yourself.