Healing Song

Spring returns to the mountain slopes, as gentle as the breath of the earth. White clouds drift lazily across the stilt houses, and sunlight sprinkles golden light on the mossy stone steps. In this setting, the sound of the zither suddenly rings out, clear and pure, like a dewdrop melting in the morning.

The Then chant heralds the arrival of spring.

The traveler paused by the slope. The sound of a musical instrument emanated from the small house at the edge of the village – gentle, profound, as if telling a story, yet softly calling out someone's name. He recognized the melody, the folk song the highland girl had sung one spring afternoon long ago. At that time, she sat on the porch, her indigo dress fluttering in the wind, her eyes as clear as spring water. Her voice resonated through the mountains and forests, bringing a sense of calm to his heart, a heart that had traveled through countless lands.

Her singing was like a stream flowing through the heart, soothing the wounds of life. In each note, there was longing, love, and a profound peace that the traveler could not find in the city. She sang about spring, about the young man going to the fields, about the late-blooming peach blossoms, about the hope of reunion after days of separation. Her voice made time seem to stand still, leaving only the echoes of her heart carried on the wind.

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Preserving the zither and the Then dance.With the skillful hands and dedication of an artisan, Mr. Ha Van Nguyen in Kien Lao village, Quy Mong commune, has devoted his entire life to preserving and spreading the essence of Then singing and Tinh playing - a precious cultural heritage of the Tay ethnic group.

Then singing and Tinh lute playing spread along the slopes of Tay Con Linh mountain.The Then singing practice of the Tay, Nung, and Thai ethnic groups in Vietnam was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019. In Tuyen Quang, Then singing and Tinh playing are very familiar cultural activities. Since being inscribed by UNESCO, Then singing and Tinh playing have spread even more widely.

Preserving the Tay cultural heritageOver time, the Tày-Nùng folk songs and stringed instrument playing, in particular, and ethnic folk melodies in general, have been preserved by the people of various ethnic groups in Thái Nguyên. Whenever these folk melodies and songs resonate in the villages, the people feel uplifted and enthusiastic about working, producing, and building their homeland to become increasingly prosperous and beautiful.

Then spring passed. He left the village, carrying with him the lingering sound of the folk song. Far away, amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, sometimes just hearing a folk melody would send his heart soaring back to the misty mountains. He would see the image of the girl from years ago – her petite figure, her gentle gaze, and her hands playing the instrument as if recounting a dream that had not yet faded.

There are memories that need no name. They simply remain there, like the sound of a traditional Vietnamese folk song amidst the spring mist – clear, tinged with sadness, yet enough to believe that music , like love, always has a unique way to heal the voids in the soul.

Spring has arrived again. The wind still blows across the mountain slopes, and the peach blossoms still bloom. The traveler smiles softly, listening to the sound of the zither echoing somewhere in the wind. Deep within him, he knows, that melody still resonates – as if spring had never truly departed.

United States - Vietnam: Don't miss

Senior Party and State leaders send letters and telegrams congratulating the United States on its National Day.In congratulatory letters and messages on the US Independence Day, senior leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State reaffirmed that Vietnam considers the United States one of its strategically important partners.

Senior leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State send letters and telegrams congratulating the United States on its National Day.In congratulatory letters and messages on the US Independence Day, senior leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State reaffirmed that Vietnam considers the United States one of its strategically important partners.

Strengthening the friendship between Vietnam and the United States.On July 3rd, as part of the Pacific Partnership - Friends of the Pacific 2026 program, the U.S. Army Pacific delegation, led by Lieutenant General Joel Vowell, Deputy Commander of the U.S. Army Pacific, paid a courtesy visit to the Quang Tri Provincial Military Command.

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/202602/khuc-then-chua-lanh-27f38c4/