Tourists get on a boat to listen to Hue songs on the Perfume River

Not long ago, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh personally inspected the Hue singing service on the Huong River. During the inspection, the message that Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh sent to the management units was: "We must strictly supervise and strictly handle violations to promote the unique value of Hue singing".

The violations that the provincial leaders noted here were the lack of singers and musical instruments in Hue singing performances as prescribed; cutting down on the registered program and repertoire; rowing and pairing guests; parking boats in the wrong places; forcing tourists to buy flowers (to give to artists), buying CDs recording Hue singing...

Previously, in May 2024, a new regulation to put Hue singing on the Perfume River into order was issued, with specific regulations, from the requirement for the number of singers and musicians in each performance to the number of "key" pieces that must be included in a Hue singing program. Accordingly, the regulation requires that the content of the program approved by the competent authority must not be arbitrarily changed, the duration reduced, the songs changed, or the introduction shortened, affecting the quality of the Hue singing performance program. Do not combine individual guests with group guests when organizing Hue singing performances on the Perfume River. Do not provide services or sell individual tickets to listen to Hue singing outside the scope of business registration... To support management, this new regulation adds a regulation that tourist boats organizing Hue singing performances must install 2 to 3 surveillance cameras, connected to the management agency when participating in the performance...

Selling flowers to tourists as gifts for artists - one of the services "following" Hue folk songs on the Perfume River

Of course, if there are deviations and violations, there must be corrective measures. But the sad thing is that nearly 30 years ago, as a reporter in charge of cultural information, having the opportunity to access and work, I realized that, over the decades, the shortcomings and violations of Hue singing on the Perfume River remained the same. Along with that amount of time, countless meetings, forums, inspections and handling of violations, countless changes and additions to regulations... were conducted, but the story of Hue singing on the Perfume River was still "an old story repeated".

Ca Hue is a special type of performing music , formed from the royal court music life under the Nguyen Dynasty, up to now it has been around for hundreds of years, with the names of Ung Binh Thuc Da Thi; generations of artists Minh Man, Thanh Huong, Tran Kich, Lu Huu Thi, Thanh Tam..., who have made Nam Ai, Nam Binh famous; ho mai nhi, mai day... However, it is heartbreaking that since Ca Hue went down to the Huong River to provide services, the heritage of Ca Hue has gradually "transformed", becoming a "Hue Ca market".

Even the stage for Hue singing on the Perfume River - dragon boats made from sand and gravel transport boats that have been converted for a long time with "head-aching" engine noise, need to be replaced, but despite being an urgent issue for decades, it remains the same.

Tired. That is the common feeling of those who still have a strong love for Hue singing when witnessing the measures to rectify the management of Hue singing on the Perfume River over the past decades have only stopped at the tip of the punishment scale and have not achieved the desired results.

Is it time to raise the issue more decisively: should we preserve or eliminate Hue singing on the Perfume River? Is it time to weigh the economic consequences of Hue singing on the Perfume River, the scandal caused by Hue singing on the Perfume River, and the preservation and maintenance of a unique heritage like Hue singing?

If we want to preserve it, we need a real “major surgery” with comprehensive and radical solutions to heal the damage and the cracks that Hue singing has suffered on the Perfume River for so long. Otherwise, please do not prolong the pain of Hue singing. And the pain will spread to the reputation of the Huong Ngu heritage site.

Kim Oanh