Building a cultural highlight in the remote areas of Tuong Duong

Cultural highlights

Since October 15, 2020, a class teaching how to use and make traditional musical instruments in Khe Ngau village, Xa Luong commune, directly instructed by Meritorious Artisan Luong Van Pan, has been opened every night, attracting more than 40 students of all ages from 9 villages in Xa Luong commune to participate. Before each class, artisan Luong Van Pan arrives earlier than the students to prepare teaching "props": panpipes, flutes, pi nhuon, pi khui and a "lesson plan" he compiled himself. That is a notebook in which he draws the structure of the musical instruments, notes meticulously on how to use them and the lyrics of folk dance songs. Before class time, there have been quite a lot of students, some are over 70 years old like Mr. Loc Thanh Hung, some are young like Vi Van Nghe, only 23 years old. And many fathers also bring their young children to class together.

Meritorious artist Luong Van Pan (right) instructs students on how to use traditional musical instruments. Photo: Hoai Thu

Mr. Kha Van Tho - Head of Khe Ngau village was elected by the students as the class monitor, who is always active and enthusiastic in the lessons. The class has only been going on for more than 2 weeks, but many people have already known how to skillfully use musical instruments such as the Khen, Pi Nhuon, Pi Khui... of the Thai ethnic group. A student holds the Khen in his hand, skillfully "reviewing the lesson", so the other students voluntarily pick up their musical instruments to follow, creating a bustling sound, the sound of the flute and the Pi resounding gently throughout the village. The inviting sounds make the women and women also follow the sound of the flute and Khen to walk quickly, making the campus of Khe Ngau village's cultural house crowded in no time. Therefore, the more enthusiastic the students are, the more excited and happy the people who come to watch the class are after a tiring day of work.

Artisan Luong Van Pan was awarded the title of Folk Artist in 2019, but he has been passionate about the folk song and dance movement of his village for nearly 30 years. Passionate about Thai folk songs since childhood, Mr. Luong Van Pan said that he did not have the conditions to undergo any music training, but with his passion for the precious cultural heritage of his people, in his hometown of Tuong Duong, wherever there were folk song and dance activities, he participated, especially since the establishment of the Folk Song and Dance Club of Cua Rao 2 village, he almost never missed any activities. "I want to pass on my passion to everyone, so that the identities of ethnic groups will increasingly reach further and further, and will last forever with the mountains and rivers" - Artisan Luong Van Pan confided.

A training class on how to use traditional musical instruments in Xa Luong commune attracted more than 40 students. Photo: Hoai Thu

In Tuong Duong district, not only Mr. Luong Van Pan, but also hundreds of advanced models, good people and good deeds, many agencies, units, and groups have been honored and recognized by all levels, sectors, communities, and people. They have become bright spots in building cultural movements at the grassroots level; such as Meritorious Artist Luong Kham Mun in Yen Hoa commune, Va Ba Dua in Nhon Mai commune, folk choreographer Dinh Thi Nguyet... Besides, many communes and villages have been maintaining Vi, Giam, and Dan Vu folk song clubs.

Mr. Lo Thanh Long - Head of the Department of Culture - Sports of Tuong Duong district said: The examples of good people, good deeds, and advanced models have become cultural beauties, creating positive nuclei in the movement "All people unite to build a cultural life" throughout the villages of Tuong Duong. Thanks to that, in the period 2000 - 2020, the number of cultural families reached nearly 76%, with 121 villages and hamlets recognized as cultural villages and hamlets. There are 50 agencies and units meeting cultural standards such as the District Military Command, Border Guard Station 551, Luu Kien Kindergarten, Tam Quang Primary School... The movement has contributed to completing socio-economic tasks, building a civilized lifestyle in the community and society.

Ethnic minorities in Tuong Duong district are always conscious of preserving their traditional culture. Photo: Dinh Tuan - Hoai Thu

Spread the movement

In Yen Tinh commune, in June 2020, for the first time, the District and Commune Women's Union launched the model "Savings following Uncle Ho's example" and so far has shown initial effectiveness. For example, in the past, in Yen Tinh, many women's union members' households were poor. To improve the situation, the Women's Union at all levels determined to promote the solidarity and internal strength of members to help each other. The model was implemented in the form of women collecting scrap to sell to raise funds, and at the same time saving 5-10 thousand VND every month to contribute to the fund to support poor members to buy seeds and rice.

Yen Tinh Commune has 509 Women's Union members, up to now, rice has been supported for 11 households, 1 household has been supported with breeding cows and many other households have been supported with breeding animals such as goats, chickens, ducks, and geese. Not only in Yen Tinh, in other communes and towns, the Women's Union of Tuong Duong district has deployed 103 models of socio-economic development activities; repaired and built 30 new houses of Love with a total amount of nearly 700 million VND... contributing to improving the material and spiritual life of the members' families.

In general, during the development stages of Tuong Duong district, the local authorities always determined that the construction of cultural life must be closely linked to the implementation of the district's socio-economic tasks. Therefore, this is not only the task of the Cultural sector but also of all levels, sectors and localities. Therefore, the Steering Committee of the movement "All people unite to build a cultural life" has regularly improved, closely directed, monitored and promoted the movements throughout the area.

In addition to building cultural units, villages, and cultural families, all levels and sectors also focus on building new rural areas; building cultural and sports institutions, maintaining festivals; implementing civilized lifestyles in weddings and funerals; promoting learning and creativity among cadres, workers, and civil servants; focusing on health care for the people... To achieve the current goals, for a long time, all levels and sectors and localities in Tuong Duong have made tireless efforts, joining hands to create solidarity, promoting potentials, strengths, positive aspects and gradually overcoming difficulties and shortcomings, pushing back negative aspects.

Mr. Lo Thanh Long - Head of the Department of Culture - Sports of the District People's Committee said: In the coming time, the entire political system will focus on spreading the movement "All people unite to build a cultural life" in the period of 2021-2025, oriented to 2030 to contribute to the goal of striving to help Tuong Duong escape from poverty; maintain a high economic growth rate, gradually stabilize and sustainably. In addition, build a system of essential and synchronous infrastructure to improve the material and spiritual life of the people. To achieve the set goals, each department, branch, agency and unit, based on its functions and tasks, will deploy practical activities, contributing to spreading the movement "All people unite to build a cultural life" effectively".

In the period of 2021 - 2025, Tuong Duong district strives for the rate of cultural families to reach 81%; cultural villages, hamlets and blocks to reach 86%; agencies, units and enterprises to reach cultural standards of 60%; communes and towns with cultural and sports institutions meeting the standards of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to reach 52.9%; the rate of ethnic people regularly practicing sports to reach 36.8% and the rate of families meeting sports standards to reach 22%.