Performing the art of reciting the Vân Tiên poem on stage.
The genre of Vân Tiên spoken poetry is associated with the name and content of the famous Nôm verse narrative, Lục Vân Tiên, by the poet Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, composed around the early 1850s. Since the end of 2022, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bến Tre (formerly) has planned and organized a comprehensive survey to understand the potential for the survival, maintenance, and vitality of this heritage within the local community, aiming to further promote the value of the patriotic poet Nguyễn Đình Chiểu's legacy. Simultaneously, the goal is to restore and preserve the folk performing art form of Vân Tiên spoken poetry, which originated in the ancient Ba Tri region.
According to Tran Thi Kieu Ton, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vinh Long province: Through research, surveys of the current state, identification and determination of heritage values, it has been found that the "Speaking of Van Tien Poetry" is a very effective folk method for disseminating and popularizing the Nôm verse narrative of Luc Van Tien by Do Chieu to a large audience at that time, especially working people who did not have the opportunity to read books. The form of "speaking" or "telling" the story from the verse work Luc Van Tien was formed shortly afterwards and possibly before the Quốc ngữ (Vietnamese script) editions of the verse narrative Luc Van Tien were published in the 1880s.
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vinh Long province, the distribution of the folk performing art of "Nguoi Tho Van Tien" (Speaking the Tale of Van Tien) extends not only to the spiritual life of the people of Ba Tri but also throughout the Southern region of Vietnam.
Furthermore, the spaces where this unique form of folk performance exists are very natural and diverse: sometimes it's during lullabies, sometimes at tea parties or banquets; and even during family gatherings, while resting in the fields, or integrated into other contemporary folk art forms. It is precisely this simplicity, intimacy, and high educational value that made the recitation of Van Tien poetry an integral part of the daily lives of the people of Ben Tre in the past.
Since 2022, the Ben Tre (formerly) Provincial Cultural Heritage Association has established the Van Tien Poetry Recitation Club at Hai Van Farm - Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary (Tan My commune, Ba Tri district, former Ben Tre province, now My Chanh Hoa commune, Vinh Long province) to promote this unique art form to the general public and students.
According to Ms. Le Thi Be Nhung, Vice Head of the club, the club currently has 30 members, primarily teachers from schools and youth union officials from various units, playing a crucial role in preserving and promoting the folk performing art form of "Van Tien Recitation." Hai Van Farm - Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary has incorporated this art form into its tours to showcase it to students and tourists. This contributes to reviving and spreading this art form to young people, teachers, youth union officials in the locality, and domestic and international tourists visiting the farm.
In the coming period, the Van Tien Recitation Club will set out key development directions focusing on thematic experiential programs "Learning and Performing Van Tien Recitation" at Hai Van Farm - Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary. These activities will include: enjoying performances by artisans of Van Tien Recitation, practicing performance under the guidance of artisans and club members. Simultaneously, this experience will be combined with moral and character education, language skills training for students, and learning how to compose lục bát (six-eight syllable) poetry based on the work of Luc Van Tien by the patriotic poet Nguyen Dinh Chieu.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Long province: Currently, Vinh Long province has 19 national intangible cultural heritage sites, including the "Van Tien Recitation Folk Art of Ben Tre Province," which was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in June 2025. This is a shared joy for all the people of Vinh Long province and also a testament to the preservation and promotion of a cultural heritage of our homeland.
In the coming period, local authorities will focus on strengthening information and communication efforts through various forms and rich content to raise awareness among all levels, sectors, and the people about the meaning and importance of cultural heritage values in general, and the "Van Tien Folk Poetry Performance Art of Ben Tre Province" in particular.
The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vinh Long province is researching and developing a project to preserve and promote the value of "Van Tien folk poetry performance art of Ben Tre province" in conjunction with the province's cultural activities; creating unique cultural tourism products to help tourists discover, experience, and spread the heritage values and distinctive cultural features of the locality.
Simultaneously, the research will organize training courses to pass on the folk performance of the Van Tien Poetry recitation to the younger generation; collect and systematize relevant documents and artifacts; and select and propose honorary titles for artisans who have made significant contributions to the practice and transmission of this heritage. In addition, coordination with the Department of Education and Training will be undertaken to teach students and incorporate new content into extracurricular activities to develop linguistic thinking, moral education, and character building for the younger generation.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/gin-giu-di-san-noi-tho-van-tien-post907213.html
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