Female artisans in Gia Lai are passionate about traditional culture.

Arriving at Nghe village (Kong Chro commune) on a weekend afternoon, we saw Meritorious Artisan Dinh Thi Drinh (born 1970) enthusiastically instructing the village women to practice playing gongs.

Meritorious Artisan Dinh Thi Drinh (right cover) is diligently passing on her passion for gongs to the women in the Nghe Village Women's Gong Club. **Photo: Dong Lai**

Artist Drinh said: Since childhood, she was fascinated by watching her father and grandfathers in the village gather to play gongs during festivals. At that time, only men were allowed to play gongs, women could only stand and watch. Therefore, she secretly hoped to have the opportunity to practice this unique traditional musical instrument of her people.

Drinh's chance encounter with gongs began in 1995, when she became an employee of the Kong Chro District Cultural Center. At that time, Drinh traveled to many places, met many artisans, and then learned and improved her skills.

With the belief that “preserving the gong sound means preserving the roots”, in 2015, she began teaching gongs to women in the village. In 2022, she campaigned to establish the Nghe village women’s gong club. Every afternoon, under the communal house roof, she guides each gong beat and xoang melody, passing on to the young generation pride in national culture.

Artisan Drinh is also passionate about weaving and brocade weaving, so she was awarded the title of Meritorious Artisan in 2022. She was also honored by the Provincial Women's Union as an "Outstanding Woman" in 2024.

Artisan Nay Thuan (right cover) participates in the 4th Gia Lai Province Ethnic Culture Festival 2025. **Photo: NVCC**

As a person attached to traditional culture, artisan Nay Thuan (born 1970, Piom village, Dak Doa commune) has devoted much effort to preserving xoang dance.

As a child, Nay Thuan often hid behind the trees to watch the village girls dance to the xoang dance rhythm and then imitate them. “At that time, I only learned by sight, but the more I danced, the more I felt the soul of the xoang dance and it seemed to flow in my blood,” said Mrs. Thuan.

More than 30 years ago, when she became a teacher at Glar Primary School No. 1 (Dak Doa commune), teacher Nay Thuan introduced xoang into extracurricular activities, teaching students how to bounce their feet, clap their hands, and feel the rhythm.

“The sinus rhythm helps children understand and love their own culture. That is also how I preserve identity for the next generation,” Ms. Thuan confided.

Not only teaching, Ms. Thuan has also joined the Piơm village gong troupe since 1993, actively participating in performances at many cultural events of the province. Under her guidance, the young generation in the village increasingly loves this folk art form.

Siana (born 2007) shared: “I have been studying sinus since 2019. Mrs. Thuan said that each dance is a story about our grandparents, so we have to dance with all our heart.”

Also in Piơm village, we met artisan Luăn (born in 1984) who was diligently working on her brocade weaving loom. Since she was 10 years old, Ms. Luăn has known how to weave. “The more I weave, the more I love brocade, I feel like I am connecting today’s life with ancient traditions,” Ms. Luăn shared.

Ms. Luan is passionate about preserving and promoting brocade weaving. **Photo: Dong Lai**

Ms. Luan also innovates traditional crafts by stylizing patterns, creating products suitable for tourists' tastes and modern life, while still preserving traditional cultural identity.

From brocade, Ms. Luan sews dresses, bags, wallets... to sell to locals and tourists, bringing in an income of 4-10 million VND/month.

Her brocade weaving talent has been affirmed through two first prizes in traditional brocade weaving and stylized traditional brocade weaving to make tourism products at competitions in 2024 and 2025 organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Gia Lai.

For Ms. Luăn, each time she participates in a performance or teaches a craft is another opportunity to learn and spread her love for the traditional craft. “I teach for free to anyone who wants to learn. I hope that the weaving loom will never be forgotten,” Ms. Luăn said.

Ms. Dinh Thi Lan - Official of the Commune Culture, Information and Sports Center
Dak Doa-said: In Dak Doa, female artisans play a very special role. They are not only practitioners but also teach, preserve and spread traditional cultural values in daily life.

"Mrs. Nay Thuan, Ms. Luan and the members of the local gong and xoang teams have silently contributed for many years. They have turned their love of culture into a vibrant vitality that spreads throughout the community, arousing national pride in the young generation."

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/nhung-nu-nghe-nhan-o-gia-lai-tam-huyet-voi-van-hoa-truyen-thong-post570113.html