Opening the cultural source in the great Thai Nguyen forest

In the land of convergence of more than 50 ethnic groups, culture is not only the memory of ancestors but also the bond that connects people today, the foundation for building a sustainable future.

During the 2021-2025 period, Thai Nguyen province has gone through a special journey: the journey of awakening the traditional cultural sources of ethnic minorities, nurturing the spiritual strength of the community and turning identity values ​​into new development drivers.

Cultural features of Hat Vi of Tay ethnic group in Thai Nguyen province.

Outstanding marks on the national cultural map

The projects of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism implemented by the province during this period have created clear changes both at the macro level and in daily life.

Programs such as organizing regular festivals, exchanges and cultural and sports festivals in ethnic minority areas; cultural and artistic activities to serve remote areas; or projects to preserve folk songs, folk dances, folk music associated with tourism ... are all concretized by Thai Nguyen through continuous activities, widely spreading from the province to the grassroots.

What is most important is that ethnic minority communities – the subjects of heritage – are always placed at the center, empowered to participate, practice and preserve their own traditional cultural values.

From festivals bearing the agricultural imprint of the Tay - Nung people such as Long Tong, to the Then - Tinh art bearing the soul of the mountains and forests, or the Soong Co songs, Sli songs, the Dao people's cap sac beliefs..., all have been and are being restored, honored and spread in a way that both respects tradition and is suitable for modern life. Cultural identity is therefore not only preserved in books or museums but also lives in every village, every song, every festival, becoming the pride of the people of Thai Nguyen.

Then Art – The soul of the mountains and forests.

Heritage awakened – the driving force for a new development journey

One good thing is that the process of cultural preservation in Thai Nguyen at this stage does not stop at “preservation”, but is strongly oriented towards the spirit of “promotion” – linking heritage with the development of cultural tourism and community tourism. That helps traditional culture not only exist as a spiritual asset, but also become a real resource for economic growth and improving people’s lives.

The regular organization of cultural festivals at provincial, regional and national levels has created a rich exchange between regions. Events such as the National Dao Ethnic Cultural Festival, the Northeast cultural and sports festivals, or activities at the Vietnam Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village have become opportunities to promote the image of Thai Nguyen to domestic and foreign tourists.

Through each program, artisans perform traditional crafts, village art troupes express their cultural colors, while tourists enjoy, experience and understand more about local cultural life.

Along with that, mobile performances, film screenings, and cultural exchanges serving remote areas have contributed to bringing cultural light to places with many difficulties.

This is not only a service activity but also helps people approach the cultural values ​​of other ethnic groups, broaden their awareness and arouse pride in their national identity. Spiritual life is thus increasingly enriched; the movement "All people unite to build a cultural life" spreads widely and becomes a bridge connecting the community.

In particular, the formation and development of nearly a thousand cultural and artistic clubs at the commune, ward, village and hamlet levels is the clearest proof of the endogenous vitality of Thai Nguyen culture.

Folk song, dance, and music clubs not only maintain regular activities but also organize performances for tourists, combined with cultural tours and local experiential tours. Thanks to that, Thai Nguyen tourism has more and more unique products: traditional festival experience tours, tea tasting tours combined with Then-Tinh performances, tours to explore Dao villages with ordination ceremonies, etc.

Exploiting tourism based on cultural foundation not only brings economic value but also creates livelihoods for the people themselves. People become “cultural ambassadors” introducing their national identity to tourists, directly benefiting from tourism services, thereby becoming more attached to the heritage of their ancestors.

Traditional craft of hat weaving of ethnic minorities in Thai Nguyen province.

Harvest of a journey – the beginning of a new phase

Currently, Thai Nguyen possesses a rich treasure of intangible cultural heritage with one representative heritage of humanity and 45 national heritages. These values ​​are not only a testament to the cultural depth of the ethnic groups living here, but also a special resource for sustainable development.

The 2021-2025 period has witnessed a clear change in Thai Nguyen's approach: from individual conservation to conservation associated with tourism development, from small-scale exploitation to systematic planning, from organizing purely performance-oriented events to creating tourism products with practical value.

Each restored festival is associated with traditional education; each preserved folk song and dance has the opportunity to live in tourism products; each folk knowledge can become a story leading tourists to learn more about indigenous culture.

When culture becomes the foundation, tourism becomes the bridge, and economy becomes the driving force, the community is the beneficiary. The most valuable thing is that in that process, the spirit of great solidarity among ethnic groups is strengthened, and the awareness of the Party Committee, government and people about the role of heritage is clearly raised.

This is the condition for Thai Nguyen to continue to implement long-term goals in the next phase: both preserving its identity and promoting socio-economic development, building the image of a dynamic mountainous province, rich in identity and rich in tourism potential.

And on that journey, the traditional culture of ethnic minorities will forever be the source of spiritual strength, community spirit and unique beauty of Thai Nguyen - a land where every house, every tune, every festival is a gentle story about the origin, and also an invitation for tourists to come to experience, explore and love this land more.

Source: https://congluan.vn/khoi-dong-mach-nguon-van-hoa-giua-dai-ngan-thai-nguyen-10320143.html