These are the core elements that keep the cultural flame alive.

Artisans in Son Thuy commune preserve traditional farming tools of the San Diu ethnic group.

Preserving the soul of Tay culture

Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, the melodious sounds of the Tinh lute and the ancient Then songs of the Tay people still resonate regularly in the mountainous city of Tuyen Quang. This is thanks to the tireless efforts and passion of people like artisan Nguyen Van Chu, from Ha Giang 1 ward.

Artisan Nguyen Van Chu shared that there was a period when this unique art form faced the risk of disappearing.

Concerned about this reality, in 2021, Mr. Chự, along with many knowledgeable and dedicated individuals, opened classes to teach the Tinh lute and Then singing . The classes in Tha and Chang villages have become a familiar "meeting place," attracting talented and passionate Tay ethnic people. "The class has about 20 students, all children of the Tay ethnic community in the area. Everyone shares the same passion and love for their ethnic culture, so the class always maintains regular and enthusiastic activities," shared artisan Nguyen Van Chự.

Beyond simply teaching, as the Chairman of the local Folk Artists Association, Artisan Nguyen Van Chu has made significant contributions to restoring over 20 ancient Then melodies of the Tay ethnic group, including songs with profound meanings such as "Kham Pe, Suoi Thuong" (leading the way to the afterlife ). He emphasized: "To restore ancient folk melodies, first and foremost, the teacher must understand and sing the lyrics and intonation correctly before teaching them to the next generation. That is the fundamental way to preserve and spread the beautiful values of ethnic culture within the community."

The Soọng cô folk song will forever resonate.

In Son Thuy commune, three names – Meritorious Artisan Luc Van Bay, Meritorious Artisan Do Thi Man, and Folk Artisan Luc Thi Tu – are pioneers in the "restoration" of the San Diu ethnic culture. The fact that a commune has three artisans who have been awarded titles by the President and the Vietnam Folk Arts Association demonstrates the great enthusiasm and responsibility of the people here towards their cultural heritage.

At the traditional house of Meritorious Artisan Luc Van Bay in Ninh Phu village, the cultural space of the San Diu people is still preserved almost intact. It was on the solemn platform in the main room that, in 2004, Mr. Bay established the Soong Co singing club (a call-and-response love song club) of the former Ninh Lai commune with 35 members. On weekends, people from various villages gather at his house to learn to sing together. To date, the number of members has increased to 120, with the teaching of the art form to young people being a top priority.

An Thi Tra My, from Hoi Ke village, shared: "By joining the club, I get to interact, share, and learn to sing Soong Co folk songs. In addition, my grandparents teach me the San Diu script and the moral principles passed down from our ancestors. I've learned and understood more about the beauty of my ethnic group's culture. I'm very proud and will try my best to learn so that my ethnic cultural identity doesn't fade away."

Over the past period, Tuyen Quang province has implemented many practical activities to enhance cultural preservation capacity, most notably the implementation of Project 6 on "Preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development" under the National Target Program for socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas giai đoạn 2021 - 2030.

As a result, the work of organizing the transmission and raising awareness of preserving the traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities in the province has achieved many positive results.

Text and photos: Ly Thu

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/202509/nhung-hat-nhan-giu-lua-van-hoa-def695e/