Quietly 'keeping the fire' of Tay ethnic culture

With a deep love for ethnic culture, Ms. Ma Thi Day (a Tay ethnic in Phu Thong commune, Thai Nguyen province) has been quietly contributing to spreading her homeland's heritage through every needle and thread and the sound of the Tinh lute.

Ms. Ma Thi Day is quietly preserving Tay ethnic culture in the midst of modern life.

Born and raised in the Tay community, from a young age, Day was taught sweet and soulful Then and Coi singing by her grandmother and mother. Her love for Tay culture grew in her, becoming a source of pride and a life ideal. From the simple passion of self-studying tailoring to satisfy her desire to wear traditional costumes of her people, she gradually realized that something needed to be done to preserve and promote those unique cultural values.

With the desire to preserve and spread Tay culture, she invested in opening a Tinh lute manufacturing facility in Ban Luong village, Cam Giang commune and Bao An Shop in group 4, Duc Xuan ward, which specializes in cutting and sewing traditional costumes, organizing Tinh lute playing classes and becoming a familiar meeting place for those who love indigenous culture.

To proactively source raw materials for making the Tinh lute, an important musical instrument in the spiritual life of the Tay people, Ms. Day has linked up with households in Ban Luong village and neighboring communes to plant specialized gourds on a combined area of about 1 hectare. In 2024, her facility will make more than 2,000 Tinh lutes and sew 4,000 traditional Tay costumes.

The products not only serve domestic cultural activities but are also ordered from international communities with similar cultures. What is special about her establishment is that customers come not only to buy but also to experience.

In the space imbued with Tay culture, they were able to admire hand-tailored costumes, with exquisite details, and were introduced to sacred items such as fans, bells, and yin-yang cards - important symbols in the traditional Then ritual.

Ma Thi Day's Tinh lute class helps spread love for Tay ethnic culture.

Currently, Ms. Ma Thi Day is maintaining a Tinh zither class with 16 students of different ages and occupations. The class takes place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening. Rain or shine, the students still come to class regularly, bringing with them a passion for traditional music and a desire to find their cultural roots. Ms. Day only charges a small additional fee for printing materials, and students in difficult circumstances are exempted from the fee.

Ms. Nong Thi Thi, a teacher at Cam Giang Kindergarten, shared: Participating in Ms. Dao's class, I feel more clearly the cultural value of my people. Each sound of Tinh guitar seems to bring me back to my roots. I love and am more proud of my ancestors' traditions. What is more precious is that I have more knowledge to inspire students, helping them appreciate the cultural heritage of the Tay ethnic group.

Hoang Hai Dang, an 8th grader at Huyen Tung Secondary School in Duc Xuan Ward, said: I have seen my grandparents play the Tinh instrument but have never had the chance to learn it. Thanks to Ms. Day's class, I not only learned to play the instrument but also listened to old stories and learned the meaning of each piece of music and each costume.

For Ms. Ma Thi Day, opening a Tinh lute class, tailoring traditional costumes and establishing a musical instrument manufacturing facility is not simply a way to make a living but a way for her to preserve and spread the Tay cultural identity amidst the modern flow.

She confided: “I not only want young people to know how to play the Tinh instrument or wear traditional clothes, but also to understand the cultural values in them. Costumes are not just performance clothes but the soul of culture, reflecting the life, soul and customs of an entire ethnic group. And the sound of the Tinh instrument is the voice of the mountains and forests, of memories and identity. Preserving these things means preserving one’s own roots.”

Quietly but persistently, the work of Ms. Ma Thi Day is making an important contribution to the journey of preserving and spreading the cultural values of the Tay ethnic group in today's modern life.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202507/lang-tham-giu-lua-van-hoa-dan-toc-tay-f142564/