VNHNO - A special art programme was held to commemorate the 107th birthday of General Vo Nguyen Giap (August 25, 1911) and his 5th death anniversary (October 4, 2013) in his home province of Quang Binh on August 25.
The programme featured popular songs on the General and “ho khoan Le Thuy” singing which has been recognised as part of the national intangible cultural heritage.
A performance at the programme. Photo: Dantri.com.vn
“Ho khoan Le Thuy” is a genre of traditional Vietnamese music, originating from Le Thuy district, Quang Binh where General Vo Nguyen Giap was born. The chants are typically sung by groups, with one person setting the tune and the rest singing the chorus, to both entertain and encourage people in their work.
General Giap was the Commander-in-Chief of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign that helped end Vietnam’s nine-year resistance war against the French colonialists in 1954.
He was born in 1911 in Loc Thuy commune, Le Thuy district, and passed away in Hanoi on October 4, 2013, at the age of 103.
The general was an eminent disciple of President Ho Chi Minh and the first General and Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnam People’s Army.
Serving the nation for more than eight decades, he was loved and respected by both the Vietnamese people and international friends and is viewed as a hero to generations of officers and soldiers nationwide./.
