Dedicated artisan preserves the precious assets of the Tho people

Preserve valuable capital

Welcoming us at the village gate, artist Truong Thanh Hai made an impression in his brown outfit with a bag containing a bamboo flute slung over his shoulder. Born in Mo village, now Mo Moi hamlet, with his grandmother Cao Thi Xa, a famous Tho folk singer who was once invited by King Bao Dai to perform at the Hue royal court, Truong Thanh Hai lived in the Tho ethnic cultural space since childhood.

Growing up, he joined the army and participated in protecting the northern border. When he returned to his hometown, he had some talent and attended the Nghe An Provincial Intermediate Culture and Arts class, then was assigned to be in charge of cultural work in Nghia Xuan commune.

Artisan Truong Thanh Hai (brown shirt) has devoted much effort to preserving the culture of the Tho ethnic group. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

For over 25 years, concerned about the decline of traditional cultural values, Mr. Truong Thanh Hai has been passionately and tirelessly traveling to villages, meeting artisans and village elders to collect, preserve and develop folk songs, musical instruments, household utensils; folk remedies and traditional customs of the Tho people in Quy Hop district.

Highlights include: Mo worship, soul worship, gong performance, carving; fairy tales of Bong Huong, A and Xam, 100 Da oi songs.

Mr. Truong Thanh Hai (2nd from right) received the Prime Minister's Certificate of Merit for exemplary role in studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and lifestyle, awarded by Mr. Thai Thanh Quy - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council. Photo: Thanh Cuong

In particular, he, together with the Party Committee and the government, has promoted and mobilized people to restore the Boc Mo Ceremony - an ancient custom of the Tho people with the meaning of praying for favorable weather and abundant water for daily life and irrigation of farmers, which has long been lost.

“In the Tho people’s concept, Mo Nuoc is a sacred place, a place that provides cool, sweet water for the villagers. In the past, when looking for land to settle down and establish a village, the Tho people often chose a cave where there was an abundant source of water flowing from underground, clear and clean.

After the village was established, every year on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month, villagers would gather at the water source, usually in front of the cave entrance, to worship the cave god, inform the Jade Emperor to witness and invite the god Mo to enjoy the villagers' gratitude for providing an abundant source of water.

After the ceremony, the village elders will choose young men to clean the water canals and clean the environment to ensure that the Mo water source is always clean and flowing," said artisan Truong Thanh Hai.

Artist Truong Thanh Hai (brown shirt) with members of the Tho folk song club at Mo Nuoc and the Mo God temple of Mo Moi hamlet. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

In addition to the Boc Mo ceremony, folk songs, folk dances, and customs of the Tho ethnic group collected and restored by artisan Truong Thanh Hai have been widely developed in villages for many classes of people in the commune and district.

The art teams of Quy Hop district often use the themes that Mr. Hai collected to participate in competitions and performances at all levels and win high prizes. Artisan Truong Thanh Hai himself participated in reenacting the "Boc Mo Ceremony" at the cultural village of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups in Dong Mo, Soc Son (Hanoi) and the 3rd Central Ethnic Culture Festival in Quang Ngai.

Many folk songs, folk dances, and customs of the Tho ethnic group collected and restored by artisan Truong Thanh Hai have been widely developed in villages for many classes of people in the commune and district. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

Mr. Hai also spent time collecting some folk remedies of the Tho ethnic group, collecting cuisine, costumes, musical instruments and tools for daily life, production and labor; and performing skills of some customs and practices of the Tho ethnic group. These are valuable assets that contribute to laying the foundation for preserving and transmitting the cultural identity of the Tho ethnic group in Nghia Xuan commune in particular and Quy Hop district in general.

Communicate, spread

As a cultural officer, Mr. Truong Thanh Hai has always been dedicated to promoting the movement of the whole people uniting to build a cultural life in residential areas and to preserve and maintain the traditional culture of his people. Therefore, along with collecting and preserving the culture of the Tho ethnic group, artisan Truong Thanh Hai has promoted the establishment and participated in Tho ethnic folk song clubs. The first club was established in Mo hamlet in 2003 and was recognized by Nghe An province as a provincial-level cultural model.

He also made many contributions to the establishment of the Tho ethnic folk music club and the restoration of the Boc Mo festival in Mo Moi hamlet. Mr. Truong Dinh Nhi - Party cell secretary, village elder of Mo Moi hamlet said: Although he does not live in Mo Moi hamlet, but was born here, artist Truong Thanh Hai consulted, contributed his efforts and efforts with the Party cell committee, hamlet management board and people to establish the Tho folk song club with 45 members of all ages and 3 generations.

The club maintains activities once a month on Saturday and Sunday to "keep the fire" of love and awareness of preserving the cultural identity of the Tho people.

The Mo Moi Tho folk song club performs. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

The hamlet has also restored the Boc Mo Festival, held on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month every year, consisting of 2 parts (the ritual part of taking a boat from the lower dam to the water spring and Mo temple of Mo Mo hamlet to perform the procession ceremony; the festival part includes dancing, singing, gongs, carving, and cuisine activities that attract a large number of visitors from inside and outside the commune to attend). The highlight of the Boc Mo Festival is the ancient folk song Tang Khang Le, which talks about the labor and production process of the people, collected by artisan Truong Thanh Hai. Recently, the hamlet has also restored the ancient stilt house of the Tho ethnic group in the grounds of the community cultural house so that descendants can know how their ancestors lived in the past.

When he was still a cultural officer of the commune and his health was still good, whenever he heard of any potential, especially young people, artist Truong Thanh Hai would diligently go there to encourage the children to participate in activities to preserve Tho folk songs. Many children have become the core cultural nucleus of the village and the neighborhood. With his passion, he has inspired the young generation to love their original culture, from wearing traditional costumes to folk songs.

Artist Truong Thanh Hai. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

He also took the trouble to collect, preserve and cherish the traditional musical instruments of the Tho people. According to him, each musical instrument has its own sound, but when the rhythm of drums, gongs, panpipes and cymbals blend together, it creates the joy, jubilation and happiness of the celebration; the heroic spirit of success and victory, dispelling the silence of the cold winter night of the deep forests and mountains, is used by the Tho people on occasions of welcoming the New Year, festivals, funerals, weddings as well as in cultural and artistic activities, celebrating new rice, new rice...

The set of musical instruments of the Tho ethnic group that Quy Hop district donated to the Ho Chi Minh Museum in March 2022 was collected by artisan Truong Thanh Hai over many years. When we asked if it was a pity to donate like that? Artisan Truong Thanh Hai answered sincerely: “No! Because I know that those musical instruments will be carefully preserved and have good conditions to spread to many people about the cultural identity of the Tho ethnic group”.

Artist Truong Thanh Hai performs one of the musical instruments of the Tho ethnic group. Photo: Phan Giang

Commenting on artisan Truong Thanh Hai, Ms. Truong Thi Duyen - Vice Chairman of Nghia Xuan Commune People's Committee said: Mr. Hai is a person who has made many contributions to preserving the cultural identity of the Tho ethnic group in Nghia Xuan Commune, especially folk songs and musical instruments that are performed in many places.

Currently, Nghia Xuan commune has also issued a Resolution on preserving Tho ethnic culture. In the area, there are 3 Tho ethnic folk song clubs: Dot Va, Mo Moi and Xom Mo, which have been established and are operating very actively.

Although his health has declined significantly, artisan Truong Thanh Hai is still deeply attached to the cultural soul of the Tho ethnic group. His silent contributions have been recognized when he was one of two typical examples of Nghe An province present in 123 typical examples selected and introduced from localities and units across the country to participate in the Ho Chi Minh Exhibition "Simple but noble examples" jointly organized by the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Ho Chi Minh Museum in May 2022 on the occasion of the 132nd anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday.

Even more honorable, in 2022, artisan Truong Thanh Hai is one of three individuals from Nghe An province honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister at the Program "Ho Chi Minh - Journey of Aspiration" honoring typical examples nationwide in studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style in 2022 organized by the Central Propaganda Department in coordination with Vietnam Television.

Artist Truong Thanh Hai talks with the Party cell committee, members of the Tho folk song club in Mo Moi hamlet and reporters from Nghe An Newspaper. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

However, the precious thing about artisan Truong Thanh Hai is his modesty. Talking to us over a pot of green tea in a newly restored ancient stilt house in Mo Moi hamlet, the dedicated artisan shared: That achievement is the common contribution of the Party committees and authorities at all levels and the Tho people in preserving, maintaining and transmitting the cultural identity of the nation as an ever-flowing source...

Khanh Ly