The legend of Giong is set to arrive in St Albans for a celebration of Vietnamese culture and heritage.
Held for the first time in Australia, the Giong festival is one of Vietnam’s most celebrated occasions.
The festival is set for Errington Reserve this Saturday, and will feature many Vietnamese traditional folk games, traditional music and dances, Giong Legend storytelling, magic tricks, food, prizes and much more.
Event organiser Linda Nguyen said the festival honours the legend of Giong and shares the strength and spirit of the Vietnamese people.
“This is a legend that is thousands of years old. It is our Vietnamese tradition to encourage the spirits of the people who fought back with the enemies long ago in history,” she said.
Ms Nguyen said the festival has found a home in St Albans due it’s large Vietnamese community.
“In Australia, within the Vietnamese community, this event has never happened before. Usually there are just the popular events such as the Lunar New Year celebrations and the Full Moon Festival,” she said.
“We are hosting a free event for everyone to attend, not just the Vietnamese community. We encourage people of all backgrounds to come and get to know more about Vietnamese history and culture.”
The festival has been supported by the state government, in collaboration with co hosts Vietnamese Australian Foundation, NEWGENs, and Suzucho Karatedo.
The Giong Festival will be held at Errington Reserve, Main Road East, St Albans on May 11, from 11am-4pm.
Hannah Hammoud
