The temple caretaker "tells the story" of heritage through folk music.

A place that holds a treasure trove of culture and history.

Thai Vi Temple is an ancient and sacred temple located in the core area of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex ( Ninh Binh province ), built by the Tran dynasty kings in the 13th century. Through the centuries, the temple has stood tall and proud, a "witness" to history and culture amidst the Trang An mountains and forests.

Thai Vi Temple is located in Van Lam village, Ninh Hai commune, Hoa Lu city (now Nam Hoa Lu ward, Ninh Binh province). The temple is situated amidst a picturesque landscape in the ancient O Lam forest.

The temple is surrounded by towering limestone mountain ranges; to the right of the temple is the winding Ngo Dong River, to the left is Coi Linh Mountain, and behind it is the majestic Cam Son mountain range.

The main temple consists of three sections: the First Section, the Second Section, and the Third Section, with 28 stone columns 3.2m high (including 22 square stone columns and 6 round stone columns).

What's remarkable is that almost all the architectural components of the main temple are made of stone, with only the roof support structure made of wood. All these stone columns were carved by ancient artisans with exquisite detail and beauty, depicting mythical creatures, dragons coiled around water, dragons bowing, and more.

Besides its exceptional historical value, intangible cultural heritage, and architectural landscape, Thai Vi Temple also preserves many valuable artifacts such as stone horses, stone steles, bells, etc.

Thai Vi Temple was not only a resistance base for the Vietnamese people and army against the Yuan-Mongol invaders in the 13th century, but also a place to hide weapons during the resistance against French colonialism. The temple was classified as a national historical and artistic relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1994.

"Telling the story" of heritage through folk music.

For decades, anyone visiting Thai Vi Temple has been amazed by the sounds of the bầu lute, flute, and khèn (a type of bamboo flute) echoing through the tranquil Trang An mountains, played by an elderly man with a long, white beard, an elegant demeanor, and kind, gentle eyes, dressed in a ceremonial robe and headscarf.

That's Mr. Chu Van Thim (86 years old), the caretaker of Thai Vi Temple. He not only skillfully plays many traditional musical instruments, performing for tourists and sharing stories about how they are made and the unique characteristics of each instrument, but he also introduces the cultural and historical values of Thai Vi Temple, the history of the nation, and the beauty of the land and people of Ninh Binh.

She devoted much time to studying books and magazines, collecting folk tales about the merits of the Tran dynasty kings, and was also willing to spend hours sharing and chatting with visitors about historical knowledge and information regarding Thai Vi Temple in particular and local history in general.

Besides introducing historical and cultural values through simple words, he also has a very unique way of "telling stories" through traditional music, which attracts and delights tourists.

Although he had never received formal art training, nor had he studied musical instruments or music theory, the boundless passion for traditional Vietnamese music flowing in his veins constantly motivated Mr. Chu Van Thim to learn about traditional musical instruments.

In the early days, he bought a bầu instrument himself and taught himself how to play it. Later, he came up with the idea of making bầu instruments from readily available materials around the house, such as bamboo tubes and rattan tubes.

Although the homemade instrument wasn't visually perfect or appealing, after spending dozens of days meticulously tuning it, it produced a fairly accurate sound. Now proficient, he can complete a bầu instrument in just two days; though simple and crude, its sound is melodious and poignant, stirring the mountains and forests.

At Thai Vi Temple, visitors not only get to sightsee and admire the scenery, but also get to hear the temple caretaker introduce them to the achievements of many generations of Tran kings and generals, as well as the unique features of the stone and wood carvings inside the temple. They can also enjoy traditional music, and receive guidance on how to play and string instruments. Some foreign visitors, so captivated by traditional musical instruments, even receive them as souvenirs from the caretaker.

"Many organizations, out of love for the sound of the zither and flute, and admiration for his understanding of culture and history, are willing to invite him to perform at numerous events both within and outside the province."

However, for him, the greatest happiness is being able to pass on his love for traditional music to young people, seeing the younger generations excited when they come into contact with traditional musical instruments, gliding their fingers and emphasizing the notes," Mr. Chu Van Thim confided.

Although he was only a temple caretaker, artist, and amateur tour guide, Mr. Chu Van Thim, with his burning passion for traditional music and his efforts to spread local cultural and historical values, left many positive impressions on visitors from all over the world.

Because of these tireless contributions, Mr. Chu Van Thim was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Head of UNESCO's Representative Office in Vietnam for his long-term contributions to preserving the heritage at Thai Vi Temple and his contributions to the practice and teaching of folk music through community classes.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/nguoi-thu-tu-ke-chuyen-di-san-bang-am-nhac-dan-toc-189290.html