"A living cultural museum" of the Cao Lan ethnic group.

Sình ca singing is a genre of lyrical folk songs, a unique, attractive, and long-standing folk cultural activity of the Cao Lan people. Sình ca is a style of singing that involves courtship between men and women, or between groups of men and groups of women.

VietnamPlus•23/12/2025

Having dedicated his life to researching, restoring, preserving, and passing on Cao Lan culture to younger generations, People's Artisan Sam Van Dun (79 years old, Cao Lan ethnic group, Man Hoa village, Phu Luong commune, Tuyen Quang province) has now taught four generations of performers to sing and dance traditional Cao Lan songs and dances.

In addition, he possesses over 200 ancient books and 8 volumes of Sinh Ca songs of the Cao Lan ethnic group.

In particular, artisan Sam Van Dun has been awarded Certificates of Merit by the Prime Minister twice, in 2010 and 2017, for his contributions to preserving the cultural identity of ethnic minority communities.

He is also considered a "living museum" of the Cao Lan ethnic group, and one of the honored delegates to the 11th National Emulation Congress.

Preserving the cultural soul of the Cao Lan ethnic group.

In a traditional stilt house of the Cao Lan people, decorated with traditional musical instruments and countless certificates and awards, artisan Sam Van Dun enthusiastically spoke about the unique cultural features of his people. Among them, Sinh Ca singing is the greatest source of pride, the soul of the Cao Lan people.

According to artisan Sam Van Dun, Sinh Ca singing is a lyrical folk song genre, a unique, attractive, and long-standing folk cultural activity of the Cao Lan people. Sinh Ca is a style of singing between men and women, or between groups of men and groups of women. The content of the songs is filled with love for the homeland and love between couples.

Sình ca also carries profound humanistic values, fully and authentically reflecting the vibrant present life and a private space of the Cao Lan people's spiritual world .

Artisan Sam Van Dun was born and raised in a family with a tradition of scholarship. His father, Sam Ngoc Van, was a "shaman" who had been officially recognized and held great prestige among the people in Man Hoa village, Phu Luong commune.

Therefore, from a young age, he had the opportunity to learn about and understand the customs and rituals of his ethnic group. By the age of 20, Artisan Sam Van Dun was able to perform daily rituals such as naming ceremonies for children, giving Buddhist names, the ceremony of worshipping the goddess of childbirth, and the ceremony celebrating the new rice harvest...

Faced with societal changes and witnessing the decline of many traditional cultural values, Artisan Sam Van Dun has always been concerned about how to further spread and promote Cao Lan culture, making a significant contribution to improving and enhancing the material and spiritual lives of the people.

In 1998, he founded the Man Hoa Village Arts and Culture Team, initially with only a few dedicated members, but later attracting a large number of people of all backgrounds and ages to participate.

Mr. Dừn's performing arts troupe is frequently invited to perform at many important events of the province and the country, and consistently wins major awards at national competitions and festivals.

With the desire to bring traditional culture closer to the public and make it relevant to the modern era, Mr. Dừn and the performing arts team researched and combined traditional rituals with theatrical performances, creating unique shows that both preserve the inherent traditions and possess high artistic value.

In addition, he also opened classes at his home to teach Sinh Ca singing, traditional dances, and how to play traditional musical instruments to hundreds of students of all ages.

People's Artist Sam Van Dun actively participated with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Tuyen Quang province in the process of preparing the application dossier and was successfully included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The success of his cultural performances has given Mr. Dừn significant influence within the Cao Lan ethnic community where he lives. For many years, he has been elected as a respected figure among the ethnic minority community.

Through decades of research, learning, collecting, preserving, and practicing the traditional cultural heritage of the Cao Lan ethnic group, People's Artisan Sam Van Dun possesses more than 200 ancient books and 8 volumes of Sinh Ca songs, along with traditional musical instruments such as ceramic drums, pi Le horns, cymbals, and musical instruments.

These books not only record the migration, settlement, and struggles with nature and society of the Cao Lan people, but also include legends, folk songs, proverbs, chants, and stories about the gods in their beliefs and important rituals in the life cycle of the Cao Lan people.

In 2019, Mr. Sam Van Dun was awarded the title of People's Artisan for his outstanding contributions to preserving and promoting the intangible cultural heritage of the nation. In 2022, People's Artisan Sam Van Dun was honored by the People's Committee of Tuyen Quang province as one of the 10 "Outstanding Citizens" of the province.

Members of the Cao Lan Ethnic Culture Preservation and Promotion Club in Phu Luong commune (Tuyen Quang province) practice singing traditional folk songs. (Photo: Quang Cuong/VNA)

Passing it on to future generations.

People's Artist Sam Van Dun believes that traditional culture is the soul of each ethnic group, a unique and unmixed identity. For the Cao Lan people, the Sinh songs, graceful dances, traditional rituals, fairy tales, folk songs, proverbs, etc., are not only means of communication and entertainment but also a treasure trove of knowledge and life experience, a connecting thread between generations, and a source of love for their homeland and country.

In particular, in the context of integration and development as it is today, preserving and promoting traditional cultural values is not only a responsibility but also an opportunity to create unique and attractive tourism products, bringing economic benefits to the community.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lam, a member of the Cao Lan Ethnic Culture Preservation and Promotion Club in Phu Luong commune (Tuyen Quang province), said that under the guidance and instruction of Artisan Sam Van Dun, 100% of the club members can now speak the Cao Lan language, sing Sinh Ca songs, and perform traditional dances of the Cao Lan ethnic group.

The younger generation of the Cao Lan ethnic group is always conscious of preserving and promoting their ethnic cultural identity to pass it on to future generations.

Continuing his father's legacy, Meritorious Artisan Sam Van Dao - son of People's Artisan Sam Van Dun - has become the third generation to join his father in teaching, preserving, and recreating the unique traditional cultural values of the Cao Lan ethnic group.

Currently, Mr. Dao is the Deputy Chairman of the Cao Lan Ethnic Culture Preservation and Promotion Club in Phu Luong commune, with over 50 members. Through the club, Mr. Dao and the members bring the drumming and dancing of their ethnic group to villages inhabited by Cao Lan people both within and outside the province, teaching the younger generation the movements and rhythms of the drums, hoping to instill in them pride and love for their roots.

Mr. Sam Van Dao said that he has been involved in preserving the cultural identity of his ethnic group for 15 years. He always believes that if we don't preserve it, future generations will no longer know about the beautiful traditions of their ancestors.

Each dance, song, and ritual is not only an expression of culture but also the roots and soul of the nation.

Preserving cultural identity is not just about performing well, but also about preserving memories and passing on pride to future generations.

With his personal prestige, understanding of customs and traditions, and direct practice of his ethnic group's culture and beliefs, Artisan Sam Van Dun proactively and exemplarily implements and coordinates with relevant agencies to propagate and encourage people to preserve and promote the beautiful cultural identity, eliminate outdated customs, and practice a civilized lifestyle in weddings, funerals, festivals, etc.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/bao-tang-van-hoa-song-cua-dong-bao-dan-toc-cao-lan-post1084406.vnp