Success and challenges
(Baonghean) - In recent years, the preservation and promotion of the intangible cultural identity of ethnic minority communities has received attention and support from all levels of government and relevant agencies, achieving encouraging initial results. However, in reality, this issue still faces many concerns and challenges.
(Baonghean) - In recent years, the preservation and promotion of the intangible cultural identity of ethnic minority communities has received attention and support from all levels of government and relevant agencies, achieving encouraging initial results. However, in reality, this issue still faces many concerns and challenges.
It can be said that the greatest success in preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic minorities in our province is the restoration of numerous festivals during the Lunar New Year. Typical examples include: the Nine-Room Temple Festival (Que Phong), the Lang Vac Festival (Thai Hoa Town), the Hang Bua Festival (Quy Chau), the Van Temple-Cua Rao Festival (Tuong Duong)... These festivals are increasingly developing in scale, improving in organization, and more or less reflecting the unique cultural values of each region and ethnic group. The restoration of these festivals has met the religious, spiritual, and recreational needs of ethnic communities during the Tet holiday, contributing to the promotion of their cultural identities.
Van Temple - Cua Rao Festival (Tuong Duong) 2012
Along with the restoration of the festival, in recent times, the districts of Quy Hop, Tuong Duong, Quy Chau, and Que Phong have opened dozens of classes to teach the ancient Thai script. From this movement of teaching and learning the Thai script, dedicated individuals have emerged who cherish the script and the cultural traditions of their ethnic group, such as Mr. Sam Van Binh (Quy Hop), Mr. Lo Khanh Xuyen (Que Phong), Mr. Lo Van Thoai, Mr. Vi Kham Mun, and Mr. Lo Kham Phi (Tuong Duong)... In particular, Mr. Lo Khanh Xuyen, despite his advanced age, continues to diligently teach the Thai script to the younger generation. For the O Du ethnic group, one of the smallest ethnic groups in the country and residing only in Tuong Duong district, facing the risk of cultural identity erosion, Tuong Duong district has organized several O Du language classes in recent years. The O Du people are excited and eager to attend these classes to rediscover the language of their ancestors.
In line with the policy of preserving the cultural identity of ethnic groups, since 2008, the Provincial Ethnic Affairs Committee has organized the Arts and Culture Exchange Festival of Ethnic Minorities every three years. To date, after two editions, the festival has partially met the needs of the people for cultural enjoyment and creation. At the same time, it has helped discover and nurture new talents, contributing to the cultural and artistic movement. However, alongside localities that have invested significantly in human resources and funding, some localities still participate only as a formality or as a formality.
The preservation of ethnic musical identity also includes the emergence and development of folk music and traditional instrument clubs. Typical examples can be found in districts such as Con Cuong, Tuong Duong, and Quy Hop... These clubs are formed by gathering individuals in villages and hamlets who share a common interest and love for ethnic music. They join the clubs voluntarily and with passion.
The advantage of this club model is that it preserves the essence and ancient features of folk songs and dances. The club serves both as a community performing arts group for the villages and as a class for teaching traditional music. In fact, many clubs have risen to become the core of the cultural and artistic movement throughout the district, such as the Folk Song and Traditional Musical Instrument Club in Mon Son and Lang Khe communes (Con Cuong district), and the Folk Song and Dance Club in Phong village (Thach Giam commune, Tuong Duong district).
At the end of 2011, we published a report titled "Behind the Life of a Folk Artisan." The article described the quiet, lonely final days of Mr. Vi Dinh Cong (Thach Giam commune, Tuong Duong district), who was awarded the title of Folk Artisan for crafting and playing the khen be musical instrument by the State.
In early 2012, while attending the Van Temple - Cua Rao Festival in Tuong Duong, we heard the news of Mr. Vi Dinh Cong's passing. We were truly saddened, even though we understand that life and death are natural occurrences. While he was alive, he shared with us his worries and anxieties about his advanced age and the inability to find worthy successors to whom he could pass on all the "secrets" of crafting and playing the bamboo flute, including his own children. This illustrates that most of the artisans who preserve folk songs, dances, and music have either passed or are approaching the age of "rare longevity."
Meanwhile, due to being influenced by many factors, the younger generation sometimes and in some places does not fully commit to the "soul" of their nation. Without proper attention, the gap between generations will widen, and the younger generation will fall behind in the relay race to preserve the precious heritage of their ancestors. Not only artisan Vi Dinh Cong, but also other artisans such as Lo The Luc, Luong Van Nghiep, Vi Thi Tan (Con Cuong), Lau Chong Di, Moong Thi Loi (Ky Son), Lo Thi Huong (Anh Son) all share the same thoughts and concerns about teaching folk songs and musical instruments to the younger generation...
Cong Kien
