The minister made the call at a recent meeting to review the management of traditional festivals in 2015.
Pig slaughtering festival in Bac Ninh Province
Speaking at the meeting, Nguyen Huu Hoa, a representative from Bac Ninh Province's Culture, Sports and Tourism Department said that the pig slaughtering festival in Nem Thuong is a long-standing tradition of the province. Most of villagers think that the festival should be preserved. "This is also in line with UNESCO's recognition of cultural diversity," he added.
However, Vu Xuan Thanh, Chief Inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that UNESCO recognises cultural diversity, not animal cruelty.
Thanh noted that at previous meetings, many scientists admitted that such customs can be reformed to suit existing social situations. Although animal slaughtering happens only at village festivals, news about them reaches an international audience, Thanh said.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh said "We need to carefully research these customs to retain their positive features and end negative ones and remodel them to suit modern society. I hope that no brutal and violent festival will be held in 2016, but this really needs the co-operation of localities.
According to the Minister, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has issued a circular on festival activity management which will take place from February 5. Festivals are allowed to be held in a way to preserve cultural values, but they should be adjusted to suit the modern society.
The pig slaughtering festival in Bac Ninh Province has also faced the strong opposition from the Animals Asia Foundation. The organisation called on local authorities to put an end to the slaughter, which it called the cruellest ceremony in Vietnam.
