The meeting place of "Truong Chi" from Thanh Hoa province.

...To date, the club's membership has grown to over 1,000 people, becoming a large community bound together by a love for traditional Vietnamese music. Despite having different jobs and varying ages, members still make time once a month on Sunday mornings to gather, share stories about life and work, and play the flute melodies they've learned for each other...

Members of the Thanh Hoa Bamboo Flute Club at a gathering. Photo: Provided by the club.

"Hands lifting the flute, the sound rising and falling."

Through sunshine and rain, through the sweetness and bitterness of a hundred years, their stories unfold.

Just a simple, small bamboo stalk.

The flute becomes a confidant for the burden-bearing person.

(Bamboo Flute Sound / Tran Van Loi)

For over a decade, Thanh Hoa province has been home to a community of such "multitalented individuals." They are not professional artists, but driven by their love for traditional Vietnamese music , the Thanh Hoa Bamboo Flute Club has become a place that nurtures passion, preserves, and spreads the sounds of this folk instrument deeply connected to the Vietnamese soul.

After a long day filled with numbers, theorems, and lectures on the podium, the private space of teacher Trinh Dinh Chien, a math teacher at Ham Rong High School (Hac Thanh ward), resonates with the sound of a bamboo flute. For him, the flute is not just a musical instrument, but a close friend that helps balance his soul after hours of stressful intellectual work. Having been involved with the club for 13 years since its inception, for Mr. Chien, it is not only a place to satisfy his personal passion, but also a meeting place where he can find common ground with like-minded souls.

The founder and head of the Thanh Hoa Bamboo Flute Club is Mr. Nguyen The Huy, an employee of Thanh Hoa Water Supply Joint Stock Company. Mr. Huy recounts that around 2010, when the internet began to become popular, he was captivated by the flute playing of artist Mao Meo on YouTube. From that fascination, he began experimenting, buying flutes and practicing while watching his computer screen. In early 2013, he and 18 like-minded friends established the Thanh Hoa Bamboo Flute Club to provide a place for interaction and learning. To date, the club's membership has grown to over 1,000 people, becoming a large community bound together by a love for traditional Vietnamese music. Despite their different jobs and ages, members still make time once a month on Sunday mornings to gather, share stories about life and work, and play the flute melodies they've learned for each other.

Huy shared: “Our club members are very diverse, ranging from young people to retired people, from all professions including teachers, office workers, those working in the armed forces, and freelancers. The oldest member is Mr. Le Dinh Son, born in 1958, and the youngest is Quoc Bao, currently a high school student. No one in the club has received formal training in bamboo flute playing; everyone comes to the flute out of passion, love for music, and a thirst for learning. Beginners take about two months to learn the basics. In the past, self-learning the flute was quite difficult, but now, with the support of social media, it's easy to find tutorials and exercises online. Long-time members help newcomers systematize basic exercises and share practical experiences so that anyone can find joy from the very first time they pick up a flute.”

The flute is a wind instrument, and flutists can easily convey their emotions and moods through each breath, expressing their unique style and soul. There are many types of flutes, such as the transverse flute, the bamboo flute, the bamboo flute, and the gourd flute... but the most commonly played is the transverse flute. “To pursue this art, you must first love it, then come the knowledge of music theory and the ability to feel. Actually, playing a beautiful flute is an art in itself. To achieve melodious and clear sounds when performing, besides persistently practicing difficult techniques like single and double tonguing, or legato, the most important thing is to put your whole heart into it,” shared teacher Trinh Dinh Chien.

Not content with just internal activities, the club actively connects with flute enthusiasts within and outside the province, and together they bring flute music to the public at community cultural venues such as Hoi An Park, Lam Son Square... on major holidays like April 30th, September 2nd... This is also how flute lovers here preserve the beauty of traditional culture, so that the gentle sound of bamboo and string continues to permeate, becoming a simple joy in the rhythm of everyday life.

Minh Quyen

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/noi-hoi-ngo-truong-chi-xu-thanh-287914.htm