"Keeping the flame of Tay culture alive"

The Tay people in Lao Cai province are scattered across many localities. In recent years, with urbanization, Tay villages have been significantly impacted, with many cultural aspects fading away or even disappearing. Faced with this threat, many localities with large Tay populations have taken positive steps to protect and preserve their traditional culture, especially within individual families, creating a continuity in preserving and promoting the positive values of the ethnic group.

Ms. Ha Thi Lan, a 78-year-old artisan from Han village, Thuong Bang La commune, possesses a vast repertoire of Tay ethnic folk songs and dances. She regularly teaches them to the younger generation in the commune.

Artisan Ha Thi Lan shared: "I always hope to preserve traditional culture so that these beautiful aspects can live on and endure through time. Besides the classes organized by the commune, I teach anyone who wants to learn about Then melodies, Dam Thuong dances, etc.; and I answer people's questions about rituals and the age-old family cultural rules of the Tay people."

In Ms. Lan's family, the Tay language is the primary language. From breakfast to bedtime, all conversations take place in their mother tongue. Ms. Lan believes that language is the soul of a nation, and losing one's language means losing one's roots.

“Their parents work all day, so I stay home to teach the children to speak the Tay language, sing Then songs, and tell fairy tales. If I don’t teach them now, what if they forget everything when they grow up?” – Mrs. Lan worried. Every evening, she sings the melodious Then songs, lulling the children to sleep and transforming her small stilt house into a vibrant cultural school.

Beyond language, cuisine is also a vital "source" in keeping the Tay culture alive. From gathering wild vegetables and preparing earthenware pots to preparing ceremonial meals for special occasions, each dish and each presentation carries memories and meanings that Mrs. Lan has passed down right in her own kitchen.

Hoang Duong Bich, granddaughter of Mrs. Lan, shared: “From the family's kitchen, my grandmother and mother taught me how to cook rice and bake cakes. They taught me traditional dances and stories of the Tay ethnic group, which I really enjoyed.”

In recent days, the people of Lam Thuong have been excitedly looking forward to the Quang Ninh Province Women's Ethnic Minority Football Tournament - where the commune's women's football team is participating.

Having never missed a single match of the girls in their traditional Tay Lam Thuong costumes, Mrs. Hoang Thi Binh from Khe Bin village was deeply moved when her team won the championship: "The girls from Lam Thuong are so talented. They have brought the colors of the Tay people of Lam Thuong to friends outside the province."

Winning the championship is a well-deserved reward for preserving Tay culture in Lam Thuong, where the girls are the "nucleus" of preserving the culture right from within their families.

Ms. Trieu Thi Thien, Chairwoman of the Women's Association of Lam Thuong commune, shared: Women in Lam Thuong are not only the "keepers of the flame" of traditional crafts, but also the proactive force in preserving, innovating, and passing on the craft to future generations.

Recognizing that "keeping the flame" of Tay culture alive is a crucial task and a foundation for local development, both Lam Thuong and Thuong Bang La have undertaken many practical activities to support the preservation and promotion of Tay culture. Tay language classes, Then singing classes, and Tinh lute playing classes have been opened at community cultural centers; traditional festivals have been revived and organized on a larger scale; and the production and promotion of brocade and handicraft products have been encouraged.

In particular, incorporating Tay culture into community-based tourism programs is an effective approach, helping people earn extra income and motivating them to be proud of and preserve their culture.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Diep, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thuong Bang La commune, said: The local Party committee and government are committed to preserving and spreading typical cultural values such as the Dam Thuong dance, Then singing, Tinh lute playing, Long Tong Festival, and traditional stilt houses; at the same time, the locality is also promoting propaganda to encourage artisans to pass on their knowledge to the younger generation, linking the preservation of traditional culture with community tourism, in order to achieve the goal of keeping the "flame" of tradition always burning brightly in Thuong Bang La.

The "flame" of Tay culture is preserved not only through individual efforts, but also through the love and unity of each family and community. With the concerted efforts of the government, the community, and especially the perseverance and dedication of each family, that "flame" will forever illuminate the path of sustainable development and preserve the identity for future generations. Because culture is not only a legacy of the past, but also a "source" that nourishes the present and shapes the future.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/giu-lua-van-hoa-tay-post888956.html