The colorful culture of Khanh Hoa

On July 19th, following the ceremony honoring the recipients of the State Prize for Literature and Arts, musician Hinh Phuoc Lien gifted us his newly published book, " Khanh Hoa - Cultural Colors," with the support of the Provincial Center for Heritage Preservation. The book, nearly 250 pages long and measuring 16x24cm, was published by Hong Duc Publishing House.

While not a professional researcher, musician Hinh Phuoc Lien's book is distinctly scholarly. Through its 16 articles, readers gain insightful perspectives and in-depth knowledge about the worship of Thien Y Thanh Mau, Duc Thanh Tran, the Cau Ngu festival, and the customs, festivals, and music of the Raglai, Ede, and Hoa ethnic groups in the province. Specifically, the book covers folk festivals of the Kinh people in Khanh Hoa such as: the Ky An ceremony, the Cau Ngu festival, the Thap Ba Ponagar festival, the Am Chua festival, the Hung Vuong Ancestor Commemoration ceremony, and the Duc Thanh Tran festival; the funeral rites and the first rice harvest ceremony of the Raglai people; traditional musical instruments of the Ede and Raglai people such as gongs, cymbals, and stone xylophones; and worship customs in some temples and meeting halls of the Hoa people in the province.

  Through this book, the author also shows readers the distinctive feature of folk festivals in Khanh Hoa: the combined worship and sacrifice. When organizing village ceremonies, people simultaneously worship the deities that the village has established a shrine for. Or, when reading about the Fishing Festival, we learn that it is essentially the anniversary of the whale, which the people of the coastal region respectfully call Ông Nam Hải (Mr. Nam Hai). Writing about the Ponagar Tower Festival, musician Hinh Phuoc Lien pays attention to the characteristics of the cultural exchange and transformation process between the Kinh and Cham people. Through this, readers understand more about the goddess Po Inu Nagar - Mother of the Cham people and Thien Y Ana, the Holy Mother of the Vietnamese people… The book also introduces readers to each ritual, the process of performing the rituals; the content of the ceremonial texts; the structure of worship at some relics… in quite detail. Similarly, in articles about the festivals, culture, and music of the Raglai and Ede ethnic groups in the province, the author has strived to provide readers with detailed, specific, and very practical information.

Composer Hinh Phuoc Lien has worked in the cultural sector for many years, so each article in this book contains the author's thorough research and investigation. In particular, many articles are the product of the author's field trips, making them very vivid and authentic. Furthermore, with his extensive knowledge of traditional Vietnamese music, composer Hinh Phuoc Lien has provided in-depth analyses and explanations of various aspects of music, performing arts, musical instruments, and more. It can be seen that this book contributes valuable information and materials about the cultural identity of the land of agarwood and swallows' nests for those who are interested in and love this region.

GIANG DINH

Source link: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/202307/nhung-sac-mau-van-hoa-khanh-hoa-50252d4/