Bac Ninh: Preserving and promoting the value of folk song festivals of ethnic minorities

In the cultural and spiritual life of ethnic minorities, folk songs and dances are a unique form of folk art, reflecting the feelings and customs of each community, contributing to enriching the national music . In the communes and wards of the old Luc Ngan district such as Chu, Phuong Son, Tan Son, Sa Ly, Bien Son, Kien Lao..., there are many ethnic minorities living and converging rich intangible cultural values. Almost each ethnic group has its own folk song genre with different expressive languages, but they all have something in common: Through lyrics to express thoughts, feelings, thoughts, and wishes for a peaceful, prosperous and fulfilling life.

Singing San Diu folk songs at the Sloong Hao Singing Festival and the spring market in the highlands in Tan Son commune. Photo: Nguyen Huong.

In order to preserve and promote heritage values, from February 2024 to May 2025, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Giang (old) chaired the implementation of the scientific project "Research on the preservation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage values related to the Folk Song Festival of Luc Ngan District". The project was chaired by Master Nguyen Huu Phuong, Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage Management. The research objective is to assess the current situation, identify potentials, and thereby propose solutions to preserve and promote heritage associated with the Folk Song Festival. The focus is on establishing a scientific profile of the Sloong Hao Festival of the Nung people in Tan Son commune and the Soong Co folk songs of the San Diu people. This is also the first time the Folk Song Festival has been comprehensively researched, from its history of formation, cultural and artistic values to its role in the spiritual life of the people.

According to researchers, over the past decade, Bac Giang has inventoried, documented and recognized 13 national intangible cultural heritages, including two types of folk songs of the Cao Lan and San Chi people in the old Luc Ngan area. However, many other folk songs associated with the Singing Festival have not yet been recognized at the national level, notably Sloong hao of the Nung ethnic group and Soong co of the San Diu ethnic group. Currently, there are hundreds of artisans and singing lovers in the area. Most communes with San Diu ethnic groups have established Soong co clubs. However, due to the impact of modern life, the young generation is less interested, the risk of fading away and loss is a big challenge for conservation work.

To identify and preserve heritage, the research team has carried out many practical activities: Collecting documents, preparing a synthesis report on Tay, Nung, San Diu, San Chi, Cao Lan, Dao folk songs; surveying 32 folk song clubs; building a scientific profile for the Sloong Hao Singing Association and Soong Co folk songs; organizing scientific seminars bringing together researchers, cultural managers, artisans, and community representatives to assess the current situation and propose solutions to preserve, maintain, and promote heritage values associated with contemporary life.

Recognizing the active and responsible participation of researchers, in July 2025, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed a decision to include the Soong Co folk performing art of the San Diu people in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Comrade Truong Quang Hai, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: "This is good news for the staff working in cultural research, for the people, especially for ethnic minorities in the province. Thereby, it reflects the important value of this unique folk art form in the spiritual and cultural life of the San Diu ethnic group; at the same time, it is an important milestone in the journey of preserving national cultural identity, contributing to enriching the map of intangible cultural heritage of the province, affirming the enduring vitality of folk art in modern life".

Soong Co singing performance of San Diu people in Phuong Son ward.

Artisan An Ngoc Luong, Vice President of the Association for Preservation and Development of San Diu Ethnic Culture in the province, expressed: “We are happy that the cultural identity of our people has been recognized by the Party and the State as a national intangible cultural heritage. Personally, I will continue to teach the San Diu language and Soong Co singing to the young generation, so that future generations can understand, be proud of and preserve the heritage of our people.”

The topic "Research on the preservation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage values related to the Folk Song Festival of Luc Ngan District" not only has scientific significance but also has profound practical value. The results obtained are the basis for serving the research and management of folk songs of ethnic minorities in the province. Localities organize folk song festivals associated with the development of community cultural tourism. To preserve and further promote the value of heritage, in the coming time, together with the attention of the province, functional departments and branches, localities continue to synchronously deploy many solutions to preserve and promote intangible cultural heritage such as: Strengthening teaching in the community, encouraging artisans to open classes for students and youth. Promoting the role of folk song clubs, organizing regular activities, participating in festivals and exchanges. Combining conservation with tourism, building cultural products associated with festivals, craft villages, and specialty crops. Apply digital technology in digitizing documents and widely disseminating them on online platforms. Pay attention to the treatment policy for artisans, promptly honor and encourage them so that they can confidently teach.

To suit the context of localities implementing administrative unit arrangement, the Folk Song Association of Luc Ngan district (old) will be organized in the form of inter-commune and inter-regional; combining exchanges with localities in neighboring provinces such as Lang Son and Quang Ninh that share cultural similarities. The space for organizing folk songs is considered by the people as a "living museum" of folk music, a place to gather and spread the unique cultural quintessence of ethnic minorities.

Article and photos: Mai Toan

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/bac-ninh-bao-ton-va-phat-huy-gia-tri-hoi-hat-dan-ca-cac-dan-toc-thieu-so-postid424677.bbg