Vietnam traditional martial arts festival kicks off in Binh Dinh

The 2019 Vietnam International Traditional Martial Arts Festival kicked off in Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh province, on August 8, bringing together around 1,200 martial artists, athletes and coaches from at home and abroad.

A martial art performance at the opening ceremony. (Photo: NDO/Cat Hung)
A martial art performance at the opening ceremony. (Photo: NDO/Cat Hung)

The opening ceremony featured martial arts performances, which were supported with music and dance, to review the history and development of Vietnam’s traditional martial arts and its contributions to the national construction and defence.

The three-day event includes a wide range of cultural, sporting and tourism events, which are designed to increase participants’ understanding about the land, people, and the martial arts of Binh Dinh and Vietnam in general, thus contributing to promoting the province’s tourism and socio-economic development.

Since it was first launched in 2006, the event has become a gathering venue for those who share a passion for Vietnam’s martial arts.

According to Nguyen Tuan Thanh, Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh provincial People’s Committee, head of the festival’s organising board, the event has seen a remarkable increase in the number and quality of participating athletes and groups, which reflects the established position of the festival among Vietnamese people and international friends.

There are around 400 training centres and martial art clubs with roughly 900 coaches and over 1 million people practicing Vietnamese traditional martial arts in 45 countries around the world.