Exploiting the Heritage of Vi and Giam Folk Songs: A Unique Tourist Feature of Nghe An

Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs have been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Performance of "Vi phuong vai" by Vi and Giam folk artists to serve tourists .

This is not only the breath and cultural source of the people of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, but also becomes a "specialty" - a potential tourism product. The exploitation of this heritage in tourism development in Nghe An is being strongly implemented, turning rustic folk songs and melodies into emotional bridges, attracting tourists, contributing to sustainable economic development.

"Touch" the depth of culture

Vi and Giam is a unique folk art form born from the working life and daily activities, with simple lyrics, the six-eight and six-eight verses rich in lyricism and rich in identity. Bringing Vi and Giam into tourism is the most vivid way to preserve heritage, and is a way to build a tourism brand with the unique features of Nghe An . Visitors coming here not only visit relics and landscapes but also "touch" the depth of culture, feel the soul of Nghe people.

Nghe An has been implementing many creative and effective solutions to exploit and promote the value of the Vi and Giam, turning this heritage into an attractive tourism product.

At the Kim Lien National Special Relic Site (Kim Lien Commune), the Provincial Traditional Arts Center in collaboration with the Huong Sen Folk Song Club organizes Vi and Giam folk song performances on festival occasions, in early spring and summer. These melodies are set in the cultural space of Lang Sen, creating a natural and profound connection with President Ho Chi Minh's homeland, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Mr. Nguyen Bao Tuan, Director of Kim Lien National Special Relic Site, said: “Bringing Vi and Giam to key tourist areas and spots not only contributes to promoting heritage closer to the public but also attracts tourists, enriching local tourism products. Instead of just listening, tourists can experience watching artists sing Vi and Giam in real space such as Vi Phuong Vai, Giam Ru... which makes tourists very excited”.

In Cua Lo ward, many hotels and restaurants have established folk music clubs or invited artists to perform for tourists. This is a way to bring traditional arts closer to tourists, turning entertainment activities into cultural experiences.

In Thanh Vinh ward, since 2022, Vi and Giam folk song performances have been held on walking streets, creating interesting highlights every weekend. The Provincial Traditional Arts Center has organized Vi and Giam folk song performances to bring folk songs into the lively performance environment of people's lives. Up to now, the Center has organized hundreds of folk song performances at Ho Chi Minh Square, attracting the attention of a large number of people.

During the early spring or festival season, the Van Dien Vi and Giam Folk Song Club (Van An Commune); the Boi Son Vi and Giam Folk Song Club (Bach Ngoc Commune) also organize boat trips on the Lam River, where artists perform Vi and Giam in the lyrical river space, recreating the scene of love affairs and daily activities of the people of Nghe An in the past. This is considered a unique tourism product with high aesthetic and emotional value.

Bring the activities of the Vi and Giam Folk Song Club into the tourist service program, especially in community tourism areas, eco-tourism areas, and traditional craft villages.

Although the exploitation of Vi and Giam heritage in tourism development has a lot of potential, it still faces barriers. That is, the mobilization of social resources is still limited. The investment budget from the provincial level is still scattered, there is no specific and effective mechanism to directly and regularly support clubs and artisans at the grassroots level. Along with that is the lack of synchronization between the two levels of government. The provincial level has a big policy, but the commune level lacks a team of specialized staff with enough expertise and enthusiasm to concretize it into specific and economic tourism action programs.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung, a member of the Huong Sen Vi and Giam Folk Song Club, said: “Most of the artists are old, so teaching and performing often face difficulties. Besides, Vi and Giam lacks an original performance environment, because it has been separated from the working and daily living space to move to a professional stage. Therefore, we hope to have a place and performance space to introduce the heritage to serve tourists when they come to the locality more often.”

Spreading heritage values

Implementing the National Action Program on protecting and promoting the value of Nghe Tinh folk song heritage, every year, Nghe An Traditional Arts Center organizes training courses, fosters and teaches folk songs to artisans, teachers, students and grassroots cultural officials, contributing to preserving, promoting and spreading the value of heritage in contemporary life.

From October 24-28, the Center organized the 2025 Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam Folk Song Club Training Course, gathering nearly 90 students, who are artisans and core members of 35 Vi and Giam Folk Song Clubs across the province.

After 5 days of serious, exciting and inspiring training, the artisans, art cores, and cultural officers of the commune shared and cultivated skills from practicing Vi and Giam singing, composing, staging programs, to teaching methods and organizing club activities in the new context. This is not only a professional course, but also a journey of enriching knowledge and arousing a sense of cultural responsibility. Thanks to the experience of practicing, teaching and practical activities over many years, the artisans have together built increasingly professional, meticulous and unique art performances.

Musician Nguyen Quoc Chung, Director of the Provincial Traditional Arts Center, believes: “Each artist and student returning to their locality will be a “living cultural nucleus”, continuing to promote their role as creators, practitioners and teachers, contributing to making the Vi and Giam folk songs spread more and more strongly in community life. The Vi and Giam sounds will continue to resonate in the countryside, in every house, every story, becoming a thread connecting generations of Nghe Tinh people, fostering cultural pride and love for the homeland.”

Currently, the Vi and Giam Folk Song Club is still the core force in preserving and promoting the intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO. Immediately after the two-level local government came into operation, cultural experts said that Nghe An needs to reorganize the activities of the Vi and Giam Folk Song Club. Specifically, forming a cluster of Vi and Giam Clubs at the ward/commune level to maintain exchanges, performances, and mutual learning, each cluster has a core club as the focal point. The Clubs maintain regular activities (2-4 times/year) associated with holidays, village festivals, and local cultural events.

The Provincial Traditional Arts Center organized a training course for the Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam Folk Song Club in 2025.

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinates with travel agencies to build tours and experiential tourism routes associated with the heritage of Vi and Giam folk songs. The Department organizes folk song performances at tourist attractions, festivals, and cultural events to contribute to promoting the image of Nghe An. Relevant parties build a model of "Vi and Giam Cultural - Tourism Village", creating a space for folk performances, introducing costumes, props, and traditional melodies.

Dr. Nguyen Hong Vinh, Deputy Head of the Faculty of Tourism and Social Work, Vinh University, suggested: “The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism should encourage the inclusion of Vi and Giam in modern products such as the application of virtual reality technology (VR/AR) in museums, the composition of new Vi and Giam folk songs that breathe contemporary life, or the creation of music videos to promote tourism. The Department of Culture, together with localities, should include the activities of the Vi and Giam Folk Song Club in the program to serve tourists, especially in community tourism areas, ecological areas, and traditional craft villages. From there, train tour guides and artisans to participate in serving tourists, creating sustainable livelihoods from heritage.”

By recognizing Vi and Giam as not only a heritage that needs to be preserved but also a valuable economic asset, the government and community in Nghe An have been opening the door to sustainable tourism development, helping "Vi and Giam singing" fly far and wide, bringing dual benefits to local culture and economy.

According to VNA

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/khai-thac-di-san-dan-ca-vi-giam-net-du-lich-dac-sac-cua-xu-nghe-a465448.html