On the evening of March 14, at April 2 Square (Nha Trang City), artists and actors from the Provincial Traditional Arts Theater performed a Bài Chòi festival. This is an activity organized by the People's Committee of Nha Trang City to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the construction and development of Nha Trang City (1924 - 2024), and the 15th anniversary of Nha Trang being recognized as a class I city under Khanh Hoa Province (2009 - 2024).
 |
| Artists and actors of the Provincial Traditional Arts Theater in the roles of Mr. Hieu and Ms. Hieu. |
Coming to the Bai Choi festival, locals and tourists can immerse themselves in the unique Bai Choi songs and melodies of the people of Zone V. There, Meritorious Artist Ai Ly with her sweet voice sent the audience a Bai Choi tune with new lyrics called “Khanh Hoa, my hometown”. In it, there are lyrics about Nha Trang that sound so passionate: “The road back to my hometown passes through Xom Bong bridge/Visiting Thap Ba, looking at the poetic Cai River/Nha Trang sea lulls the golden sand banks forever embracing a common love/The folk song of the fishermen is imbued with steadfast love and faith in the homeland…”.
The most exciting and attractive program is the card playing festival. In the middle of the large yard, there are 9 thatched-roof huts set up, with a tube of cards placed in the middle. To help players understand more about the cards, Mr. Hieu and Ms. Hieu sing an introductory paragraph, then take turns drawing cards and shouting out lyrics that sound both witty and humorous, but also meaningful. For example, when Mr. Hieu draws the second-poor card, he sings: "Daytime work lacks clothes, lacks food/Night sleeps without mat, uses straw as a bed/Outside, bees and butterflies crowd the streets/The phoenix pillow and the silk curtain do not care about my poverty - I am the second-poor card". Drawing the five-card card, Mr. Hieu sang again: "If you love each other, divide the areca nut into three pieces/If you hate each other, divide the areca nut into ten pieces/This is a bad habit in life/Helping each other is not a good idea/Divide the areca nut into six pieces/If you throw it away, you will be angry, what's the point - call it the five-card card" ... Just like that, a card game ends when a player collects three cards that match the card in the card given. The player will be invited by Mr. Hieu and Ms. Hieu with a tray of prize money, betel, wine, and sing congratulatory songs for the winner.
 |
| The leaf huts are used for people playing the card game. |
Following the Bai Choi festival, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Phung (a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City) shared: “I have heard about the art of Bai Choi in the Central provinces, but this is the first time I have directly watched a full game. Indeed, this type of game creates a joyful and exciting atmosphere for both players and viewers; at the same time, it shows the beauty of the folk cultural activities of the people of Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa in particular and the people of the Central region in general”.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Minh - Vice Chairman of Nha Trang City People's Committee, the city's organization of the Bai Choi festival aims to contribute to preserving and promoting the artistic value of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity recognized by UNESCO. Along with that, it promotes the value of community connection in modern life, creating a cultural activity spot for people and tourists who want to learn and experience the beauty of local traditional art.
FAMILY
Source
Comment (0)