Quietly preserving the "soul" of Thai ethnic culture.

Driven by her love and dedication to local culture, Ms. Trinh Thi Phuong, a teacher at Yen Thang Secondary School, has quietly collected, researched, and passed on Thai cultural values ​​to her students. This work has been ongoing at a time when many highland cultural values ​​are at risk of disappearing.

Teacher Trinh Thi Phuong, along with leaders of Yen Thang commune and students, took a commemorative photo after the cultural performance.

Late in the afternoon in Yen Thang, when the schoolyard is almost empty of students, teacher Trinh Thi Phuong begins her duties after her teaching sessions. That involves chatting with students from the "I Love the Cultural Identity of the Thai Ethnic Group" club about a traditional folk song. Such conversations have become familiar over the years.

After graduating from Hong Duc University with a major in Literature, she began working in the highlands in 2003. Since then, this small school nestled in the mountains has not only been her classroom but also the place where she has poured her heart and soul into teaching. Although she is a Literature teacher, what many people remember about her is not just her classroom teaching, but also her role as a "keeper of the flame" in the journey of preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of the Thai ethnic group.

Many people think she is Thai, but that's not the case. Years of living, working, and being deeply connected to the highland villages here have nurtured in her an enduring love for the cultural values ​​of the local people. She says that during her time teaching and living in Yen Thang commune, she realized a worrying reality: a segment of the population, especially the younger generation, is increasingly indifferent to their own traditional culture. Traditional songs and cultural elements closely associated with community life are gradually disappearing from daily life. Instead of imposing her ideas in lessons, she chooses to talk and share during extracurricular activities, telling students about the value of Thai culture, the pride in their heritage, and the potential of this culture in developing tourism and improving livelihoods. According to her, when young people understand its value, they will naturally appreciate, preserve, and promote it.

Driven by these concerns, in 2014 she began implementing research projects to collect and explore the cultural identity of the Thai ethnic group, while simultaneously integrating this content into classroom lectures and extracurricular activities. The deeper she delved, the more she realized the rich and unique cultural treasure of the Thai people, yet also the risk of its disappearance as many students did not fully understand their customs and festivals. Her first step was to research and introduce Thai folk singing into schools. According to her, Thai folk singing is a traditional art form closely linked to the daily life, work, and thoughts and feelings of the Thai people. To deeply understand this art form, she proactively met with artisans and village elders to collect lyrics and melodies, and to understand the meaning of each folk song. From there, Thai folk singing was gradually incorporated into lectures and experiential activities, helping students access it naturally and fostering a sense of pride in themselves.

Not stopping there, in the 2024-2025 school year, she continued to develop a plan to incorporate learning about the Chá Mùn festival into students' experiential activities. After consulting with the school, she took the students to meet the village elders and community leaders – the "living archives" of the community – to hear about the origins, meaning, and rituals of the festival. No longer just dry textbook knowledge, the Chá Mùn festival came alive through stories, songs, dances, and rituals recreated right in the village, helping students gain a deeper understanding of the cultural values ​​of their ancestors.

What she appreciated most was the school's establishment and regular maintenance of the "I Love the Thai Ethnic Culture" Club. Bringing ethnic culture into schools through clubs and heritage-related activities is both an educational solution and a way to foster connections between the school, family, and community.

Alongside preserving the culture, Ms. Phuong is also concerned about social issues existing in the highlands, including child marriage. Over many years of work, she witnessed many students who failed the 10th grade entrance exam getting married early, or even dropping out of school. Based on this reality, in 2019 she participated in research and proposed solutions to combat child marriage among ethnic minority students. To date, according to Ms. Phuong, the rate of early marriage in the area has been largely reduced. For her, Thai ethnic culture is not only a heritage that needs to be preserved, but also a foundation for educating students' character and lifestyle.

"If we want children to love their national culture, we must first help them understand its history and origins. Once they understand, they will naturally develop a sense of responsibility to preserve it," Ms. Phuong shared.

Artisan Lo Viet Lam from Ngam Poc village said: "Ms. Phuong and the students in the school's club often organize discussions about local culture. The 'Folk Culture' club of the commune also regularly collaborates with the 'I Love the Thai Ethnic Culture' club of Yen Thang Secondary School to organize performances during festivals and major events of the village and the country. Through this, we authentically transmit the values ​​of Thai culture to the younger generation."

Text and photos: Dinh Giang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/am-tham-giu-hon-van-hoa-dan-toc-thai-276945.htm