Preserving the cultural identity of the Cao Lan ethnic group.

With 100% of the households in the village belonging to the Cao Lan ethnic group, the people of Thai Binh village, Binh Ca commune, Tuyen Quang province have actively preserved their ethnic cultural identity over the years. Every song, dance, and traditional costume has been preserved and shared within the community.

Members of the Thai Binh village performing arts team, Binh Ca commune, practice their performances.

According to Ms. Phan The, head of Thai Binh village, the village has 147 Cao Lan ethnic minority households. To preserve their ethnic cultural identity, the villagers are always conscious of maintaining good customs and traditions; preserving their language and traditional clothing; making various cakes for festivals and holidays; and especially the Sinh Ca folk songs. The village's performing arts group has been established and maintains regular practice and performances on major holidays throughout the year, or participates in local cultural and artistic exchanges.

A dance practice session of the Thai Binh village performing arts team, Binh Ca commune.

Ms. Lau Thi Khang, 78 years old, Head of the Elderly Association in the village, shared that the Association always considers each member as a pioneer in preserving and passing on the beautiful cultural traditions of the ethnic group to their children and grandchildren. Therefore, this activity is integrated into the Association's movements such as "Elderly - Shining Examples," and cultural and artistic activities for the elderly. In each family, the elderly serve as role models in preserving the ethnic cultural identity. They also teach their children and grandchildren to speak the ethnic language and wear traditional clothing on important occasions such as weddings, engagements, festivals, and New Year celebrations.

When talking about the cuisine of the Cao Lan people, traditional cakes are indispensable. Ms. Hoang Thi Bien, Vice Chairman of the Elderly Association of the village, said: “During the traditional Lunar New Year, the Cao Lan people cannot do without banh chung and banh gai; during the Thanh Minh festival, there is black sticky rice. This is a very distinctive dish. To make this dish, we take glutinous rice and soak it with sau sau leaves. The sau sau plant, also known as phong huong, has young leaves that are often used to make food coloring for black sticky rice and black banh chung, giving it a natural aroma and being safe for health.” In addition, people also use various leaves to make five-colored sticky rice. During the Dragon Boat Festival, there is banh lang…

The people of Thai Binh village, Binh Ca commune, create products using traditional embroidery techniques.

In particular, activities to preserve ethnic cultural identity are organized in coordination with the Elderly Association of Dong Chiem village, where the majority of Cao Lan people also live. Thanks to this, cultural and artistic activities in both villages are effectively maintained. Traditional customs are jointly preserved and promoted by the people of both villages.

Ms. Ly Thi Dao, from Dong Chiem village, shared that every time there's a performance or cultural exchange, she and some elderly members of the village participate in rehearsals with the Thai Binh village's performing arts team. Everyone actively practices singing Sinh Ca, with those who sing well guiding those who don't know how to sing, so that together they can preserve the unique cultural features of the Cao Lan people in the area. In particular, she and some members still maintain the traditional embroidery craft, showcasing the skill, perseverance, and meticulousness of Cao Lan women in their families. Nowadays, embroidery threads are abundant and come in many beautiful colors, so she also takes advantage of the opportunity to make products like crossbody bags to sell, both to earn extra income and to preserve the traditional craft.

A performance by the Thái Bình village art troupe, Bình Ca commune.

Ms. Lau Thi Khang, Head of the Elderly Association in the village, shared that nowadays, young people are busy working in factories, so their participation in village activities, especially cultural and artistic movements, is not as frequent. Therefore, upholding the spirit of "Elderly people - Shining examples," she and the members of the Association and the village's performing arts team always strive to maintain the village's activities. At the same time, they teach their children and grandchildren to preserve the good customs, traditions, and heritage of the nation.

One weekend, the cultural center of Thai Binh village, Binh Ca commune, was bustling with the sounds of Sinh Ca singing mixed with the laughter and chatter of the members of the performing arts team and the villagers who came to watch and cheer. Through these concrete and practical activities, each member of the performing arts team and the members of the Elderly Association of the village are actively working together to preserve the cultural identity of the Cao Lan ethnic group in the locality.

Huyen Linh

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/202508/giu-gin-ban-sac-van-hoa-dan-toc-cao-lan-d986124/