A longing to rediscover the past.

(Baonghean) - In a stream of reminiscences touching upon centuries of cultural heritage, old man Cao Van Ly told me the story of establishing villages and hamlets, and also his heartfelt desire to rediscover the charm of the past, to restore the melodies and rituals of the Luc Ngoat Festival - the Choong Temple Festival of yesteryear...

The Xet village performing arts troupe (Chau Ly commune, Quy Hop district) at the inauguration ceremony of phase 1 of the restoration and reconstruction of Choong Temple.

Born in 1938, now at a very old age, Mr. Cao Van Ly still vividly remembers the stories he heard from his childhood. Slowly sipping his tea, he recounts that at Choong Temple, there were two main ceremonies each year: the Luc Ngoat Ceremony, held on the 15th day of the sixth lunar month, and the Year-End Ceremony, held on the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month. The Luc Ngoat Ceremony at that time had a great influence, attracting many visitors from far away, including Dien Chau, Do Luong, Tan Ky, Yen Thanh, Nghia Dan, etc., to participate in the rituals. An important ritual in the Luc Ngoat Ceremony was the procession of the sacred palanquin, with the participation of various performing arts troupes (similar to today's art groups). Many elderly people in the area still remember the procession of the sacred palanquin during the Luc Ngoat Ceremony, starting from Choong Temple, crossing the Nam Choong River, and descending to the Muong Choong communal house. Local dignitaries, the people of Muong Choong, and visitors from all over participated in the procession. As always, leading the procession are the performers in their colorful costumes, singing and blessing the gods as they go:

"The blessings have been received. The birthday wishes have been granted."

"Today, I wish all the officials of our ministry long lives; today, the father becomes an official, and the son also becomes an official. I wish our Muong Choong to always be peaceful, with bountiful harvests of corn and rice, and for everyone to be healthy..."

For centuries, year after year, with heartfelt reverence, the folk artists of the troupe have traveled long distances to participate in the Luc Ngoat festival. Recognizing the troupe's contributions and to ease their travel to the ceremony, the people of Muong Choong divided land and fields among the troupe families, establishing the Xet village, located less than a mile from the Choong temple. This explains why Xet village is the only village in the Muong Choong region and one of the few villages in Quy Hop that currently has many different clans living together. Besides the Vi and Lo clans, the village also has many families with the Cao, Nguyen, and Truong clans…

Through the ups and downs of time, the first artisans who remained in Muong Choong and established Xet village did not leave behind any names, but their artistic talents have been passed down to this day. Despite difficult circumstances and a lack of formal education, people like Cao Thach Thao and Cao Thach Cuong are very skilled guitar players with exceptional musical talent; Cao Van Hinh has a special talent for bringing the gong and drum ensembles to life; Cao Thach Nghien, Nguyen Van Thanh, and Nguyen Van Tinh are particularly adept at playing the leaf and mouth organs. Besides those skilled in the traditional Vietnamese musical genres like xuoi, lam, and nhuon, Xet village also boasts many talented folk singers. They have memorized folk melodies such as "vi do dua," "ho khoan di duong," "giam khuyen," "tu hoa," and "giam ke," and their voices resonate deeply during joyful occasions and cultural festivals.

My story with Mr. Cao Van Ly led the listener back to the charm of the past, sensing in him a deep-seated desire to restore the precious heritage of his ancestors. He had participated in social work, holding positions as a cultural officer in Khun Tinh commune in 1957; an officer in the Education Department and then Chief of the Office of the Mai Chau District Party Committee (Hoa Binh province) from 1962 to 1965; and Chief of the Office of the Quy Hop District Party Committee in 1967…

And now, as the Head of the Chau Ly Commune's Elderly Culture and Arts Club and the Chairman of the Xet Village Elderly Association, the elderly man has always hoped to contribute his efforts to restoring cultural values ​​and identity. He said that the activities of the Chau Ly Commune's Elderly Culture and Arts Club have become well-established. The club's performances at Spring Festivals and cultural exchange events are always highly appreciated. Soon, a Cultural and Arts Club will be established in Xet Village. He and others will collect and restore traditional stories, folk songs, and chants to serve at the Choong Temple ceremony. In the coming years, when the Luc Ngoat Festival is held, the village's performing arts group will continue the traditions of their ancestors, contributing to the restoration of the beautiful aspects of community cultural life.

Cao Duy Thai