The festival gathers a large number of international martial arts delegations from France, Italy, the Russian Federation, Morocco, China, Algeria, Switzerland, Germany, Burkina Faso, Thailand... and dozens of martial arts delegations from provinces and cities across the country.
At the program, Mr. Thai Dai Ngoc - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of Gia Lai Provincial Party Committee - performed the ceremony of lighting the fire tower, officially opening the 9th Vietnam International Traditional Martial Arts Festival - Gia Lai in 2026.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Pham Anh Tuan - Member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee - said that the festival is a place for domestic and international martial arts schools, martial arts schools, martial arts masters, and martial artists to meet, exchange, perform and pass on the quintessence of martial arts.
Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee emphasized that the festival is also an opportunity to affirm the message: "Heritage only truly lives when it is passed down. Culture only truly spreads when it is connected". In the coming time, the province will strengthen the connection between martial arts and culture, education, sports and tourism, making traditional martial arts a unique cultural product, contributing to promoting the image of Gia Lai land - a vast forest touching the blue sea.
I believe that the gathering days in Gia Lai will not only leave behind beautiful performances, memorable exchanges, but also open up new connections, new friendships and new journeys of Vietnamese traditional martial arts in the world," Mr. Pham Anh Tuan expressed.
After the opening ceremony, there was an art program with the theme "Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts - Radiant Essence", staged into 3 chapters: "Echoes of Vietnamese Spirit", "Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts - Gathering and Spreading" and "Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts - Shining Essence".
The performances recreate the national spirit, honoring the quintessence of martial arts and Vietnamese cultural identity in elaborate and modern performance forms.
The 9th Vietnam International Traditional Martial Arts Festival is a large-scale cultural, sports and tourism event, creating a space for exchange between domestic and international martial arts sects, contributing to promoting the image of the country and people of Vietnam as well as Gia Lai province to international friends.
