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Your Say, published on Fridays, enables you to express your opinions about a topic or issue raised by the Editor.

This week:

The first month on the Lunar calendar is traditionally a time for festivities in Viet Nam, with festivals held across the country. Last week the Yen Tu festival in the northern province of Quang Ninh drew 40,000 people on one day alone. Meanwhile, the ïLim festival drew thousands of quan ho (folk song) lovers, after the traditional musical genre was recognised as intangible cultural heritage by the UN's cultural organisation. But the ïLim festival is by no means the biggest. The 3-month-long Huong (Perfume) Pagoda festival usually attracts about 1.5 million of pilgrims. Festivals are clearly playing an increasingly important role in the spiritual life of Vietnamese people. The boom in festivals across the country is, however, witnessing a trend of commercialisation. Some critics have warned that poor management along with this commercialisation have spoilt the authentic values of many of the country's oldest festivals.

Have you ever attended any festivals in Viet Nam? Tell us about your experiences in this area.

We welcome your opinions. Emails should be sent to: opinion.vietnamnews@gmail.com – or by fax to 84 (0) 43 933 2311. Letters can be sent to The Editor, Viet Nam News, 11 Tran Hung Dao Street, Ha Noi.
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