Preserving the rhythm of Bài Chòi heritage in the Old Quarter

VHO - Last night, December 7th, Hoi An organized an art exchange program "Bai Choi - A Thousand Years of Rhythmic Beats Still Resounding," marking 8 years since this unique art form was recognized by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (December 7, 2017 - December 7, 2025).

Bài Chòi singing in the Old Town has become an attractive tourist product of Hoi An.

Since its recognition, Bài Chòi has become an integral part of the cultural and tourism life of the ancient town, where artisans, tourists, and the local community immerse themselves in traditional melodies. Hoi An has persistently preserved and promoted this heritage through teaching in schools and classes for the younger generation, helping Bài Chòi to continue to live on through time.

Nurturing a love for Bài Chòi from its roots.

Bài Chòi is a traditional folk game deeply rooted in community spirit, and a living heritage preserved and nurtured by generations in Hoi An. This heritage has become an indispensable part of the ancient town's cultural life, closely linked to the traditions and spiritual life of its people.

Hoi An has consistently implemented various solutions to sustainably preserve and promote Bài Chòi (a traditional Vietnamese folk game), helping the heritage integrate deeply into contemporary life, becoming a unique, vibrant cultural feature that unites the community.

Since 2004, the Hoi An Cultural Heritage Conservation Center has collaborated with the Education sector to introduce Bài Chòi (a traditional Vietnamese folk singing style) into schools, organizing free folk singing classes at the "Night Street" event. Teaching Bài Chòi in schools not only fosters a love for the heritage from its roots but also creates a solid foundation for the future.

The artisans directly visited schools to guide students in traditional singing and chanting skills, from how to tap the clappers and maintain the rhythm to how to pronounce words correctly in the Bài Chòi style. Through this, the students absorbed knowledge of the heritage and were inspired to love and be proud of the folk art of their homeland.

Simultaneously, Hoi An also organizes classes teaching Bài Chòi and traditional musical instruments to young people passionate about this art form, helping them hone their performance techniques and improve their musical knowledge, becoming an important human resource in maintaining Bài Chòi as a "living heritage". Many young people have matured from these classes and become artisans, participating in performances and passing on their knowledge to the next generation.

The Bài Chòi folk art form in Hoi An is not only a cultural heritage but also a distinctive cultural tourism product. Every evening at the An Hoi roundabout, artisans from the Hoi An Heritage Conservation Center organize Bài Chòi performances for tourists, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere that easily connects people to the folk rhythms. The program is truly an indispensable part of tourism activities in the ancient town.

Hoi An, with its title as a "creative city," continuously introduces Bài Chòi (a traditional Vietnamese folk game) at international events, festivals, and exchanges. As a result, the heritage retains its traditional spirit, spreads and connects with contemporary life, becoming a unique cultural feature, full of vitality and community cohesion.

Developing the Bài Chòi heritage in contemporary life.

The plan for preserving and promoting the value of Bài Chòi heritage in conjunction with sustainable development in the period 2024-2030 has been approved by Hoi An and implemented in 13 communes, wards, and schools before the city's merger and operation of a two-tiered government model.

2025 marks a significant milestone as Hoi An celebrates the second anniversary of its UNESCO recognition as a Creative City in the field of Handicrafts and Folk Arts. This title is both an honor and opens up a journey of cultural connection and revitalization, building a vibrant space for communities that nurture their identity through creative energy.

Also in 2025, after merging with Da Nang city, Hoi An will enter a new phase, opening up opportunities for regional connectivity and building creative spaces, forming a creative corridor in Central Vietnam with its unique cultural identity and human resources.

This is an opportunity for Hoi An to strengthen its brand and promote its image, especially in the field of folk art, in order to boost the development of the cultural industry. The spirit of heritage remains the core value of Hoi An, where tradition and modernity blend and connect through creative language and inspiration.

One important initiative that Hoi An committed to implementing after joining UNESCO's Global Creative Cities Network is the "Nurturing Young Creative Talents" project. This is a central focus of the "Hoi An - Creative City" plan for the period 2024-2027, with a vision to 2030, especially in the fields of folk art and handicrafts.

According to the plan, the Hoi An Cultural Heritage Conservation Center will continue to open folk singing and Bài Chòi classes at four secondary schools in the area and maintain nightly folk singing classes in the Old Town for children and tourists to participate in the experience.

These activities aim to promote and publicize Bài Chòi art to the community, enhance creativity in lyrics, performance styles, and new practices, and affirm Hoi An's position and potential in the field of handicrafts and folk arts.

In the future, Hoi An will continue to consider the Bai Choi heritage as the focus of its conservation and development strategy. The Bai Choi heritage will continue to be nurtured, taught, and disseminated, taking deep root in the cultural life of the town. Hoi An will also have the opportunity to develop a separate project on Bai Choi art, aiming to leverage research resources, investment, and development of this art form within a creative urban environment.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/ben-bi-giu-nhip-di-san-bai-choi-noi-pho-co-186624.html