A place where love blossoms through Then singing and Tinh playing.

Visiting the Then singing and Tinh lute club in Thai Son commune, we happened to be there during rehearsals for the commune's Fatherland Front Congress. We were treated to melodious Then songs praising the homeland and the country. Driven by their love for Then and Tinh lute, each member of the club is actively preserving and spreading the Tay ethnic culture within the community.

A practice session of the Then singing and Tinh lute playing club in Thai Son commune.

Dinh Ly Diep Chi, a 6th-grade student from Thai Thuy Primary and Secondary School in Thai Son commune, dressed in traditional Tay ethnic attire, happily sang Then songs with the elders of the club. She expressed that she had been watching the club perform since she was 6 or 7 years old. Both her grandmother and mother are members of the club, so she loved listening to them sing Then and play the Tinh instrument at home. Here, with guidance from everyone, she learned to sing, play the instrument, and participate in performances with the club. Her favorite songs are: "Sending a Message to the Border Soldier," "Spring in My Village," "The Road Back to My Village," "Going to School," etc. The more she learns about Then singing and Tinh playing, the more she loves and is proud of her ethnic identity.

Members of the Then singing and Tinh lute playing club in Thai Son commune are actively practicing, contributing to the spread of Tay ethnic culture in the community.

Not only Chi, but the Then singing and Tinh lute club in Thai Son commune also teaches many other young members to sing and play the instrument. Being in this environment rich in cultural identity, the children have nurtured a love for the Then melodies and the Tinh lute, and learned to express that love through passionate practice, becoming "young sprouts" in preserving the cultural identity of the Tay ethnic group in the locality. Ms. Nguyen Thi Chung, the head of the Then singing and Tinh lute club in Thai Son commune, shared that the club was established in 2014. Initially, it had 10 members from 4 villages with a large Tay population, including Thai Thuy 1, Thai Thuy 2, Minh Thai 1, and Minh Thai 2. Today, the club has 20 members, the oldest being 76 years old and the youngest 11 years old.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Chung, head of the Then singing and Tinh lute playing club in Thai Son commune, guides young members in practicing playing the Tinh lute.

As one of the oldest members of the club, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuong shared that since childhood, she had followed her maternal grandfather to learn Quan Lang, Coi, and Then singing styles. In the past, during festivals and holidays, young men and women could sing call-and-response songs for days on end, with rich lyrics reflecting their understanding of nature, life, and social etiquette. Today, if there are not dedicated people preserving these beautiful aspects and cultural identities of the nation, they will gradually fade away, and young people will become increasingly indifferent to national culture. Therefore, she and the other members of the club not only practice and perform during festivals and holidays, but also actively teach the younger generation, instilling in them a love for national culture.

A performance of Then singing by members of the club.

The club also regularly interacts with clubs in other communes to learn from each other, share experiences in preserving and spreading the Then singing and Tinh lute playing more widely in daily life. Mr. Dao Van Mac, a member of the Then singing and Tinh lute playing club in Thai Son commune, said that the club has visited clubs in communes such as Yen Thuan, Yen Phu, Bach Xa, and Phu Luu. Through each exchange, the clubs have shared experiences in organizing activities and performances; effective ways to attract young members to participate… Especially, they have learned how to spread Then songs on social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook so that more people will know about them.

A practice session of the members of the Then singing and Tinh lute playing club in Thai Son commune.

With dedication and passion, each member of the Then singing and Tinh playing club in Thai Son commune has been actively spreading ethnic culture within the community. This helps to ensure that the Then music continues to resonate through generations, forever echoing in Tuyen Quang province.

Huyen Linh

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/du-lich/202510/noi-uom-mam-tinh-yeu-hat-then-dan-tinh-d857d96/