In Na Mao village (Phu Xuyen commune, Thai Nguyen province), where the San Chay community has lived for centuries, there is a sound that has resonated through the centuries, crystallizing into the cultural rhythm of the village. It is the sound of "tac tac xinh," the distinctive melody of the Tac Xinh dance – a national intangible cultural heritage and a source of pride for the San Chay people of Na Mao.
For the San Chay people, the Tac Xinh dance is not simply a form of folk performance, but an integral part of their community's spiritual life. Many generations have grown up listening to the simple, rustic songs of Sang Co and the rhythmic movements of their grandparents and parents. The dance has therefore accompanied the community's formation and development, deeply ingrained in their being as a cultural instinct.
Tac Xinh dance, a national intangible cultural heritage, is the very breath and pride of the San Chay people in Na Mao, Phu Xuyen commune (Thai Nguyen province).
The Tắc Xình dance plays a central role in the Harvest Festival, an important agricultural ritual of the Sán Chay people, usually taking place before or after the Lunar New Year. This is an occasion for the community to express gratitude to heaven and earth, and the spirits for blessing them with favorable weather and bountiful harvests, while also conveying their hopes for a prosperous and peaceful new harvest.
Unlike many other folk dances, Tac Xinh is considered a "physical diary," recording a complete cycle of agricultural cultivation. Through nine basic movements, the dance vividly recreates the labor process of the San Chay people, from checking roads, clearing fields, sharpening knives, clearing land, planting seedlings, tending rice, to harvesting and celebrating the season. Each movement carries symbolic meaning, reflecting the harmonious relationship between humans and nature.
The Tắc Xinh dance not only depicts productive labor but also serves as a strong spiritual bond connecting people with the earth and sky.
The sounds that give the dance its name and special appeal are created from rudimentary musical instruments close to everyday life. Most unique is the earthen drum (náy cau), a one-of-a-kind instrument created by digging a deep hole in the ground, covering it with tree bark, and stringing it with vines. When the performer strikes the string, a deep, resonant sound rises from the earth, considered by the community as a bridge between the living and the dead, conveying the villagers' hopes to the spirits.
Alongside the earthen drum are percussion instruments made of bamboo and cymbal tubes. In a seated position, the performer uses a bent fresh bamboo stick connected to a cymbal tube to strike the ground, creating a "sigh" sound, and strikes them together to create a "tack" sound. When transitioning to a standing position, the performer simultaneously strikes the cymbal tube forcefully against the ground and uses an old bamboo stick to strike the tube itself, creating a series of rapid, rhythmic sounds: "Tack tack xing, tack tack xing…". This swirling sound guides the energetic, decisive yet graceful dance steps, creating a festival atmosphere that is both sacred and vibrant.
Through nine basic movements, the Tắc Xình dance fully recreates a cycle of agricultural cultivation of the Sán Chay people.
During the Harvest Festival, after the solemn ceremony with offerings including pig's head, sticky rice cakes, steamed rice cakes, and ancient paintings with mystical motifs, the sound of earthen drums resounds as an invitation to the spirits to witness the event. When the ceremony concludes, the festivities erupt in a vibrant atmosphere. Young San Chay men and women join in the Tac Xinh dance, expressing the principle of "drinking water, remembering the source," showing gratitude to their ancestors who pioneered the land and taught their descendants how to sow seeds on the gray rocky hillsides.
According to Article 4 of the Law on Heritage: "Vietnamese cultural heritage is a precious asset of the Vietnamese people, a part of the cultural heritage of humanity, and plays a great role in the nation-building and national defense of the people. The State represents the owner and uniformly manages cultural heritage owned by the entire people; recognizes and protects cultural heritage under private and common ownership as prescribed by the Constitution, this Law, and other relevant laws."
In 2014, the Tac Xinh dance was inscribed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. This is not only a recognition by the State of the unique cultural value of the San Chay community, but also opens up opportunities for the heritage to be preserved and promoted more sustainably. Linking heritage preservation with cultural promotion and community tourism development is contributing to creating new vitality for the Na Mao region.
Members of the Na Mao Sang Co Singing Club regularly perform and promote the heritage value of the Tac Xinh dance to the public both domestically and internationally.
In Na Mao, Sang Co singing and Tac Xinh dancing clubs have been established, becoming regular cultural spaces where elderly artisans pass on rhythms and steps to the younger generation, keeping the San Chay cultural heritage flowing steadily and brilliantly through time.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/doi-song-van-hoa/mua-tac-xinh-suc-song-ben-bi-cua-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-quoc-gia-20251222124344525.htm
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