HCM CITY — The HCM City Book Street is inviting the public on a cultural journey through the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta during the Book and Night Culture Festival running from October 31 to November 2.

The festival, themed Cửu Long Thần Bí: Miền Thiêng Phương Nam (Mysterious Nine Dragons: Sacred Southern Land), celebrates Southern Việt Nam's folk beliefs, spiritual heritage, and cultural traditions passed down through generations.

Visitors can learn about guardian deities, worship practices, communal houses and temples, and festivals tied to waterways and community life in the Southern region through books, stories, and artistic and interactive activities.

The festival features Play-to-Learn cultural sessions with interactive questions and challenges to bring participants closer to Southern culture and Vietnamese tales full of humanity through Cửu Long Ký Sự (Chronicles of the Land of Nine Dragons) programme on October 30, and Cổ Tích Dân Gian Việt Nam (Vietnamese Folk Tales) on November 11. 

The Vietales book company is hosting an author exchange and introduction for the fantasy novel, Cửu Long Quái Ký Sự (Chronicles of Strange Tales in the Land of Nine Dragons) by Lâm Thái Gia Bảo, on October 30. Readers can listen to explanations of Vietnamese legends, and the historical and cultural imprints of the southern region.

The festival will include two talk shows on indigenous beliefs of the Vietnamese people hosted by cultural researcher Nguyễn Tín Hiếu, and on Mother Goddess Worship in the flow of Vietnamese culture hosted by Văn Hồng Thiên, Founder and CEO of GOVIETNAMEZE, the city-based cultural innovation studio, on October 31.

Together, the two shows help audiences better understand the Vietnamese belief in spirit worship dating back thousands of years.

The Zính Nature Artwork will offer a fossil clay workshop on November 1 that guides visitors in crafting "Chim Lạc", a sacred mythical bird deeply rooted in Vietnamese folklore.

Audiences can immerse themselves in distinctive traditional Southern songs and melodies of tài tử music and cải lương (reformed opera) performed by the Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre, the city’s leading traditional art troupe, on November 1.

The festival set up stalls showcasing unique handmade products, artwork and creative publications from local brands.

The event opens from 5pm to 9pm on Nguyễn Văn Bình Street in Sài Gòn Ward. — VNS