DISTINCTIVE CHAM FOLK ART PERFORMANCES AT ANCIENT TOWERS IN BINH DINH

HIGHLIGHTS OF CHAM FOLK ART PERFORMANCES AT BINH DINH ANCIENT TOWERS - Detail - News -...

The cultural exchange program featuring Cham folk art performances between Binh Dinh and Ninh Thuan provinces at the Twin Towers and Banh It Tower attracted a large number of tourists and locals who came to enjoy the performances.

Cham musical instrument performance (Ghinang drum, Saranai horn, Paranung drum) at the Twin Towers relic site.

From July 6th to 10th, at the Twin Towers and Banh It Tower, the Cham folk art troupe of Ninh Thuan province will perform and showcase Cham folk culture, with performances of Cham folk songs, Cham dances, Ghinang drum ensembles, Saranai horns, and Paranung drums, as well as demonstrations of traditional Cham pottery making and brocade weaving. The opening ceremony will take place at 5:30 PM on July 6th at the Twin Towers, featuring a cultural exchange between the Cham folk art troupe of Ninh Thuan province and the Cham H'roi people of Van Canh district (Binh Dinh province). The Cham H'roi art troupe will perform and showcase gong music, goong solos, and kơtoang drums in call-and-response style. Binh Dinh was once the capital of the Champa kingdom from the 11th to the 15th centuries, during the Vijaya period. During those five centuries, the Cham people left behind many valuable cultural legacies in this land, which today include the remains of ancient citadels, Cham tower ruins, numerous terracotta and stone sculptures, and ancient pottery kilns with many products preserved and displayed in museums both domestically and internationally .

A cultural and artistic exchange performance of the Chăm H'roi people from Vân Canh district at Tháp Đôi (Twin Towers).

Regarding Cham architectural and artistic relics, Binh Dinh currently has 8 tower complexes (Banh It, Duong Long, Doi, Canh Tien, Phu Loc, Thu Thien, Binh Lam, Hon Chuong) with 14 towers. Among them, the Banh It tower complex is the only ancient architectural work in Vietnam featured in the book "1001 Architectural Works You Must Visit in Your Lifetime" published by Quintessence (UK). It can be affirmed that the Cham tower relics in Binh Dinh contain invaluable historical, cultural, and architectural artistic values, making them a cultural tourism resource unmatched anywhere else.

Traditional Cham musical instrument performance at the Banh It Tower historical site.

However, unlike the Cham towers in the southern provinces and cities, the Cham towers in Binh Dinh are no longer associated with the religious and spiritual activities of the Cham people. Every year, the Cham communities in Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces often organize pilgrimages to the Cham towers in Binh Dinh, such as the Banh It Tower (Tuy Phuoc district), the Doi Tower (Quy Nhon city), and the Canh Tien Tower (An Nhon town), to perform their rituals and worship their deities.

Numerous tourists and locals enjoyed Cham folk art and culture at the ancient tower.

In order to contribute to the restoration of the spiritual space of the relics and to serve tourists and researchers, over the years, Binh Dinh province has actively carried out conservation and restoration work on a number of towers in the area. In addition, the Binh Dinh Provincial Museum has also developed a plan to organize activities and programs showcasing Cham art at the relics; and to strengthen promotion and tourism connections to the Cham towers.

The Japanese tourist group enthusiastically took souvenir photos with the Cham artisans from Ninh Thuan province.

The Cham folk art exchange program between Binh Dinh and Ninh Thuan provinces at the Twin Towers and Banh It Tower has created a positive effect, attracting a large number of tourists and locals to visit the relics and enjoy the art. Mr. Thanh Nhay, Deputy Director of the Ninh Thuan Cham Museum, also expressed his hope that the Binh Dinh Museum and the Ninh Thuan Cham Folk Art Troupe would further strengthen their relationship and cooperate to continue promoting and introducing Cham folk art to a wider audience of domestic and international tourists. According to the Department of Culture and Tourism, organizing cultural exchange activities at Cham tower relics aims to protect and promote the value of the relics, contributing to the promotion of Binh Dinh's cultural heritage to domestic and international tourists; thereby creating more tourism products and attracting tourists to Binh Dinh.

Source: https://baotangtinhgialai.vn/index.php/vi/news/trung-bay-tuyen-truyen/dac-sac-bieu-dien-nghe-thuat-dan-gian-cham-tai-thap-co-binh-dinh-67.html