Tong Goi boat singing festival is recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Singing boat opera. Photo: Dan Phuong

Accordingly, the Traditional Festival of the Tong Goi Boat Cheo Singing Association, Tan Hoi Commune, Dan Phuong District, Hanoi City was included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Goi village, consisting of four villages: Thuong Hoi, Thuy Hoi, Vinh Ky and Phan Long (Tan Hoi commune, Dan Phuong district), has long been famous for its unique Cheo Tau singing festival. According to ancient legend, General Van Di Thanh was a descendant of a mandarin from the Tran dynasty, born in the ancient Goi village. As a highly educated and talented person, well-versed in the classics, he had the merit of recruiting soldiers and training soldiers to fight against the Ming invaders. He was famous for his 6 oaths and commanded the team to victory wherever they fought. Under his talented leadership, the enemy suffered heavy losses. After his death in Goi village, to praise the virtue of General Van Di Thanh, the people of Goi village created a unique Cheo Tau performing art form. On the occasion of the 15th day of the first lunar month every year, the people of Goi village (now Tan Hoi commune) organize the traditional Cheo Tau singing festival.

Singing boat opera. Photo: Dan Phuong

The most special thing in the festival is the Cheo Tau singing performance with the response melodies between two boats - wooden dragon boats, not launched but symbolically rowed on land. Each boat has 13 people including the boat lady, 2 boats and 10 ships. When performing, the boat lady plays the gong, the 2 ships lead the singing and the ships sing along. Behind is a pair of elephants with two elephant trainers whose job is to blow the horns and signal.

The content of the songs in the Cheo Tau performance are individual songs and the response songs of the “ship” and the “statue”, all of which aim to praise the merits of the Thanh Hoang Tong Goi Van Di Thanh. Tan Hoi Cheo Tau singing includes 20 melodies, divided into forms such as: Hat trinh, hat thuyen and hat bo bo.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/hoi-hat-cheo-tau-tong-goi-duoc-ghi-danh-la-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-quoc-gia-702309.html