Cao Bang strives to preserve and promote the Then practice heritage.

(Social Life) - Cao Bang possesses unique cultural heritage with folk songs and dances of various ethnic groups. The most distinctive among these folk song forms is the Then singing and Tinh lute playing of the Tay ethnic group. In recent years, Cao Bang has valued, cared for, preserved, and promoted the values ​​of its cultural heritage through many practical approaches.

Then heritage in community life

According to the Tay people's beliefs, Then means "Heaven". Then singing is a form of folk religious music performance, recounting the journey of people to the heavens to ask Then for good fortune and a good life. Therefore, Tay Then singing reflects stories of daily life, the village, love, funerals, and weddings... Then singing is a captivating artistic performance capable of immersing people in a surreal realm. Therefore, when studying traditional Then rituals in depth, researchers clearly see the worldview, philosophy of life, and cultural identity of the Tay people.

According to documents from the Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ha Giang and Thai Nguyen provinces, Then means Heaven or Slien – Sky, and Then singing is the song of the heavens to ward off evil spirits and save the people. The Tay and Nung people believe that when they are sick, they combine rituals and medicine, inviting Then and Phui shamans to treat the sick through spiritual therapy. Then refers to songs and dances used in rituals for healing, warding off misfortune, praying for a good harvest, rice cakes, initiation ceremonies, and New Year celebrations of the Tay, Nung, and Thai ethnic groups, performed by those who practice Then.

For the Tay, Nung, and Thai people, the Then ritual has always been a spiritual ceremony connecting people with their supreme being. The Then ritual reflects the Tay, Nung, and Thai people's beliefs about humanity, the natural world , and the universe. The Then ceremonies depict the journey of the Then Master (Mr. Then, Mrs. Then) leading a group of spirits from the earthly realm to the heavenly realm to offer sacrifices and make requests in ceremonies for peace, healing, good harvests, and New Year celebrations . The journey begins when the Then Master begins singing and playing the zither. Depending on the purpose of the prayer, the Then Master will prepare offerings and pray before the Then altar to different local deities. The Then Master often uses objects such as: exorcism swords, yin-yang staffs, bells, etc., to perform the Then ritual at the believer's house, outdoors, or at the Then altar in the Then Master's home. The Then Master wears ceremonial attire and sings in their ethnic language while playing the zither, shaking the zither, and fanning themselves. Some ceremonies even feature a group of female dancers as accompaniment.

Closely associated with the Then ritual is the Tinh instrument. The Tinh instrument plays a crucial role in the practice of the Then ritual, serving as both a guide and accompaniment, but also acting as a second voice alongside that of the performing artist.

The defining characteristic of Then is its artistic nature intertwined with spiritual elements. The Then master is the creator of both the lyrics and the melody. The zither has no frets, allowing the Then master to improvise and create sounds on the instrument. While possessing spiritual significance due to its connection with various rituals and prayers, Then also has a festive character, being linked to significant life events or New Year celebrations.

Preserving and promoting the values ​​of Then

The preservation, conservation, and promotion of the values ​​of Then culture are receiving increasing attention. According to Trieu Thi Thu Hang, Head of the Department of Culture and Family Management, Cao Bang Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism: In recent years, the province has placed great importance on preserving and promoting cultural heritage in conjunction with socio-economic development, employing many diverse and practical approaches, such as: intensifying propaganda on the value of ethnic culture; periodically inventorying the intangible cultural heritage of ethnic minorities; and identifying and compiling scientific dossiers of intangible cultural heritage to be included in the national list of intangible cultural heritage.

In addition, organize activities to collect and research the traditional culture of local ethnic groups, and hold scientific seminars to contribute to the preservation and promotion of ethnic cultural identity in the era of integration. Open training courses on preserving and conserving traditional culture for district, commune, and ward officials, as well as officials working in cultural collection, research, and management from the provincial to the grassroots level; invite artisans to teach folk songs, folk dances, and traditional musical instruments to the children of ethnic groups…

The UNESCO inscription of the Then ritual practices of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people in Vietnam on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity affirms the rich cultural identity of the Vietnamese people, the cohesion of the community, the promotion of respect for cultural diversity, and the encouragement of dialogue among individuals, communities, and different ethnic groups for tolerance, love, and compassion, in accordance with the principles and objectives of the 2003 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Cao Bang province collaborated with the Institute of Music to complete the dossier on "Then Tày, Nùng, Thái" of Vietnam, which was submitted to UNESCO for recognition as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. In 2019, UNESCO recognized the practice of Then as a World Cultural Heritage.

The practice of the Then ritual demonstrates solidarity among ethnic groups, respects the worldview of ethnic groups in line with UNESCO's objectives; and helps raise awareness of the importance of the heritage of ethnic communities not only in Vietnam, but also in many countries around the world.

Thanks to efforts in preservation and conservation, initial steps have been taken to allow the national cultural heritage to spread strongly within the community, especially among young people, who have become more aware of their cultural identity and the connection between the past, present, and future. As a result, people understand and cherish their heritage more deeply and have a better sense of responsibility to protect it.

Source: https://dansinh.dantri.com.vn/dien-dan-dan-sinh/cao-bang-no-luc-bao-ton-va-phat-huy-di-san-thuc-hanh-then-20210827221503159.htm