Preserving the sacred gong sound in the majestic Truong Son mountain range

In the middle of the majestic Truong Son range, in the west of Quang Tri province, where the green mountains overlap one another, there are peaceful villages of the Pa Co and Van Kieu people who have lived here for generations. Here, the sounds of singing, playing instruments, and panpipes still resound every morning and evening.

Amidst the modern pace of life, there are still people who silently and persistently devote their whole lives to preserving the songs, dances, gong sounds and the soul of the mountains and forests of their homeland. That is the origin and unique identity of the nation that cannot be forgotten.

The "fire keepers" in the wilderness

Every afternoon, in the Community Cultural House in Hamlet 6, Lao Bao Commune, there resound the familiar yet rustic sounds of instruments and singing from the Bru-Van Kieu folk song class.

In that space, the image of Mr. Ho Van Mang adjusting each song, each sound, each rhyme, playing each rhythm, diligently teaching the youth in the village became familiar to many generations of students. The Ta Oai and Xa Not songs resounded clearly from the young students' voices, as if dispelling the cold of early winter.

From the first awkward moments, the music was still out of rhythm, the singing was still out of tune, but now everything seems to have become more familiar and easier for the students.

In the border areas, the laughter and singing of young men and women has become the joy and pride of the whole village every time a class is held. The melodies that seemed to only resound in the memories of the village elders are now revived through the skillful hands and enthusiastic hearts of the young generation.

In the highland community house, everyone’s eyes lit up with each beat of the instrument, each long melody, as if feeling more deeply about the origin and the soul voice of their people. Each lesson is not only a time to practice singing, but also a journey to find cultural values that are gradually fading in the modern life.

Meritorious artist Kray Suc teaches Pa Co folk songs to young students. (Photo: VNA)

Having devoted his life, his heart and passion to generations of students, every time he hears the singing and the sound of the flute, village elder Ho Van Mang's heart flutters. Pride is evident on his face, marked by time, because for him, "as long as our culture remains, our village remains."

For old Mang, each flute tune and each song successfully performed by the children is the greatest reward, because it is a sign that the nation's cultural heritage is being revived in the hearts of the young generation. Over the past 10 years, with love and enthusiasm, he has participated in more than 20 cultural events in and outside the province, directly teaching folk songs to nearly 200 students.

"There is so much modern music, so the Bru-Van Kieu folk songs are fading away. I am afraid that one day, the younger generation will no longer remember the lyrics, songs, and flute melodies of their homeland, so I always feel pain in my heart. I just hope that I can teach my children and grandchildren as much as possible, so that Ta Oai, Xa Not... can live again in the mountains and forests," Mr. Mang shared.

Culture is not only the past, but also a resource for the future. Preserving the soul of culture is to preserve the spiritual strength of the highland people. In the midst of modern life, there are still people quietly preserving the unique cultural features of the mountains and forests of Western Quang Tri.

Mr. Ho Van Hoi, Chairman of the Khe Sanh Gong Club, confided: Mr. Ho Van Mang is a talented and dedicated person. His teaching of folk songs in the club greatly contributes to preserving the national culture for today's youth. People like Mr. Mang are the "string" connecting the past, present and future.

As the first Pa Co ethnic group member of Quang Tri province to be awarded the title of “Meritorious Artisan,” Mr. Kray Suc (A Lieng village, Ta Rut commune) is a typical example in the journey of preserving and promoting ethnic culture. His persistent efforts in researching, compiling and teaching have contributed to spreading the folk culture and folk songs of the Pa Co ethnic group to today's young generation.

Having devoted his life to teaching the younger generation, collecting every piece of music and every traditional instrument of the nation, Mr. Kray Suc is still as diligent as a “fire keeper” in the middle of the jungle. Time may slow down his hands, make his legs less fast and his strength wear out over the years, but his soul and will have never diminished. For him, preserving culture is not only a duty, but also a promise to his ancestors, a gift to future generations.

Looking towards the misty mountain top, Mr. Kray Suc, Ta Rut commune, still believes that the sound of gongs, flutes, dances, and folk songs of the Pa Co and Van Kieu people are the unchanging soul of the mountains and forests. “I am old, my strength is not as good as before, but as long as I can breathe and stand, I will teach my children and grandchildren. If culture is lost, everything is lost…,” he said, his voice low in the cold winter sky.

For him, teaching culture is not just a job for today, but a way to maintain the connection between the past and the future.

He said: “When I was young, I knew by the sound of gongs that the rice harvest season or a festival was coming. There were many festivals: celebrating the new rice season, offering prayers for the harvest season, Ariêu Piing… The gong dances in the festivals resounded with folk songs such as A den, Ka loi, Xieng, Cha chap…, that is the cultural soul of the Pa Co people."

Community development motivation

In Lao Bao commune, the clear sounds of gongs, Ampreh, Ta lu, and Khen be still echo during every festival and every village festival season. The singing and dancing seem to blend with the sound of streams, the wind, and the bustling footsteps of people gathered around a blazing fire at night.

Established from three gong teams in Ka Tang, Ka Tup and Khe Da, with 32 members including both the elderly and young people, Lao Bao Gong Club has become a bright spot in preserving and promoting Bru-Van Kieu cultural identity.

During the Club's practice sessions, the village elders carefully adjusted each beat, the young people bent down to play each gong, carefully adjusting each note to the right pitch, resounding evenly among the majestic mountains and forests. Those high and low sounds were sometimes bustling like the sound of footsteps at a festival, sometimes long and deep like a prayer sent to the gods. Even though they lived in the heart of the city, the Van Kieu people still considered gongs as sacred objects - the connecting thread between the present people and their ancestors, between the present village and the ancient past. And in the sacred space of the gong sound, it seemed that the mountains and forests also listened, in harmony with the heartbeat of the people here.

From those gong beats, Lao Bao is gradually developing community tourism , creating a space for tourists not only to visit but also to immerse themselves in the Van Kieu cultural life: beating gongs, joining in the dances, the sound of panpipes and feeling the rustic, sincere rhythm of life of the Truong Son mountains and forests.

Traditional folk songs and chants resounded from the stilt house roof. (Photo: VNA)

Always proud of the Bru-Van Kieu ethnic identity that his ancestors have preserved for generations, village elder Ho Van Ly (Lao Bao commune) shared: “In the past, the sound of the zither and the panpipe was associated with every home. But war and modern music have caused many things to be lost and gradually fade away. Now, I just hope to restore what has been lost so that future generations can understand their roots and know how to appreciate and preserve the soul of their nation."

From the rustic folk songs to the sound of the strings and the resounding flutes in the majestic Truong Son mountains, all blend into a symphony of national pride. In the midst of the great forest, the Bru-Van Kieu people still persistently preserve the cultural treasures of their ancestors, not only through memories but also through actions, with a loving heart and a sense of responsibility. Preserving heritage is not only preserving the past, but also a way to preserve the soul of a nation. And for the Bru-Van Kieu people today, that journey continues, resounding forever in the great Truong Son mountains.

Mr. Mai Xuan Thanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Tri province, said that in the context of modern life strongly affecting traditional culture, preserving the identity of the Pa Co-Van Kieu people is an urgent and long-term task. The unit is focusing on key solutions, focusing on selective preservation and restoration of typical values such as folk songs, folk dances, musical instruments, and traditional festivals. In the coming time, the province will continue to coordinate with localities and artisans to open classes to teach folk songs and musical instruments; at the same time, support folk culture clubs to operate regularly and in depth.

The Department also implements training programs for the next generation, focusing on discovering and nurturing young talents; recording and digitizing heritage; supporting artisans in teaching activities; building a mechanism to honor and encourage young people to participate in learning and inheriting valuable indigenous knowledge.

The province identifies linking cultural preservation with economic development as a sustainable direction, prioritizing the promotion of community tourism based on culture and heritage./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/giu-tieng-chieng-linh-thieng-giua-dai-ngan-truong-son-hung-vi-post1080932.vnp