The Keeper of Tay Khao Culture

Born and raised in Dong Cuong commune, where the Tay Khao community has lived for generations, Ha Thi Dung's childhood was filled with sweet lullabies from her grandmother and mother, Then singing and dances imbued with national identity.

Mrs. Ha Thi Dung.

Those familiar sounds and images soon aroused in her a deep love for the traditional culture of her homeland; urging her to devote all her heart to preserving and teaching the cultural values of the Tay Khao people, with the hope that this beauty will be continued and spread to future generations.

Xoe Then is a unique folk art form of the Tay Khao people, passed down from generation to generation. During festivals, weddings or spiritual ceremonies, Xoe Then has become a bridge connecting the community, conveying the traditional cultural values of the Tay people, not only attracting the attention of local people but also attracting tourists from near and far.

At the annual Dong Cuong Temple Festival, Then dance is an indispensable part of spiritual rituals. Ms. Dung is the one who spent a lot of time practicing and performing Then dance at the festival. After many years of being involved in traditional culture, Ms. Dung realized that if the Tay Khao culture is not "passed on" and preserved, it will easily be lost. That prompted her and the members to establish the Tay Khao Cultural Club - a place to live and preserve ethnic culture.

Ms. Dung performs Then dance at the festival at Dong Cuong Temple Festival.

So, after the days of production work, when the farming work is done, the club members gather together, sing and dance to the folk songs and dances of their homeland. Now, coming to Dong Cuong, not only the elderly are passionate about the folk songs and dances of the Tay people, but even the young people enthusiastically and eagerly participate. All of them join hands with Mrs. Dung to preserve the precious cultural heritage of the nation.

In each practice session, Ms. Ha Thi Dung enthusiastically instructed and taught the club members, arousing national pride and raising awareness of preserving and promoting Tay Khao culture in daily life. Therefore, since its establishment, the club has always maintained activities, practiced, and won many great awards at competitions, performances of the commune and exchanges with other provinces. The club has truly become a common home for those who are passionate about Tay Khao culture.

Ms. Ha Thi Dung shared: "The club was established with the aim of preserving and conserving the traditional cultural values of the Tay Khao people. Teaching the younger generation about language, folk songs and folk dances is the most practical way to "pass on the fire" and preserve national identity.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ga, a club member, said: "The establishment of the club is a very meaningful thing, both as a place to preserve and maintain the traditional cultural beauty of our ancestors, and to create a healthy and useful playground for everyone to connect and share their passion for national culture. We hope that the culture of the Tay Khao people will be passed down to future generations."

As the club's president, Ms. Dung spends a lot of time recording and collecting folk knowledge, creating a valuable archive of documents on the Tay Khao ethnic culture, serving the research, inventory and documentation of local cultural heritage.

Currently, Ms. Ha Thi Dung is also one of the few people in Lao Cai province who has knowledge and understanding of the customs, folk songs and dances of the Tay Khao people. She has made an important contribution to the restoration and maintenance of traditional spiritual and cultural rituals, typically performing the Then dance in solemn ceremonies at the Dong Cuong Temple Festival.

Ms. Ha Thi Dung and club members are practicing enthusiastically.

Ms. Dung not only preserves but also contributes to creating new vitality for Tay Khao culture, helping these traditional values not only exist in consciousness but also be practiced regularly, improving the spiritual and cultural life of the community.

Dung's contributions were recognized by Dong Cuong commune and the people, and the People's Committee of the commune submitted a dossier for consideration to award the title "Folk artist in the spiritual field". for their contributions to preserving and promoting the nation's cultural heritage.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/nguoi-giu-gin-van-hoa-tay-khao-post884690.html