'Sac Then Viet Bac' - awakening heritage with 'woodblock' experience

On the afternoon of August 31, the talk show and heritage performance program "Sac Then Viet Bac" was successfully held at the Museum of Cultures of Vietnam's Ethnic Groups, bringing a rare original experience of Then - a unique folk cultural heritage of the Tay, Nung, Thai ethnic groups in the Northern mountainous region, which has been recognized by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The event was organized by the Museum of Vietnamese Ethnic Cultures in collaboration with the Viet Bac College of Culture and Arts, the Vietnam Quintessence Association and the Tam Giao Club, bringing together 6 Then singing clubs and folk singing clubs from 5 provinces: Cao Bang , Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Lang Son and Quang Ninh. The program marked a new step forward in the journey of preserving and promoting the value of Then heritage.

Talkshow, where artisans and cultural experts share their journey of keeping the Then heritage alive.

Talkshow and stories to keep the fire burning

The talk show portion of the program brought authentic and emotional stories about the journey of keeping the fire alive of the artisans. This is a rare opportunity for the public to better understand Then, a unique form of ritual performance of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people, and the silent efforts to keep this heritage alive in contemporary life.

Known as the "midwife" of Then in France, Dr. Hoang Thi Hong Ha affirmed:   Then must retain its originality from rituals, musical instruments, costumes to performance. It is necessary to stage Then appropriately so that the public can know more about it, especially to build systematic transmission programs for the younger generation.

Sharing the same view, People's Artist Hoang Thi Bich Hong ( Thai Nguyen ) expressed her joy when Then was widely promoted, but she also had many thoughts: "When bringing ancient Then to the public, few people understand its origin and nature. We must inform and promote it so that people can understand it better." She hopes to have more support policies so that artisans have the motivation to stick with Then.

People's Artist Trieu Thuy Tien ( Lang Son ) emphasized that Then is "a journey" and a bridge connecting people's aspirations. She advised the younger generation to understand and speak their mother tongue, only then can they understand the beauty and literary and artistic values ​​contained in Then.

Artists perform the "Loan en ngo can" ritual in the Then ritual of the Tay ethnic group in Thai Nguyen province.

From the perspective of young people, Mr. Mac Van Ngoc, a member of the Then singing club in Thai Nguyen province, who is working in the health sector, shared that Then has great appeal to him because Then lyrics and Tinh language bring a sense of relaxation. He admitted that learning Then is difficult due to work and making a living, but affirmed: "Many young people like me are very passionate, we still spend time on weekends to study and preserve the heritage". Young artist To Dinh Hieu (Quang Ninh) also agreed and said that the clubs are the most effective model to preserve Then.

Artisans and cultural experts were honored for their positive contributions to the "Sac Then Viet Bac" program.

Performing "woodblock" is returning to the original

The most special highlight of the program “Sac Then Viet Bac” is the complete recreation of the traditional Then ritual space right on stage. For the first time, Then lovers in Thai Nguyen witnessed a Then altar that was carefully built, with full rituals, incense, and costumes in the Then ritual.

What makes the difference is that the entire performance is done in “woodblock” form, meaning no sound amplification microphones, no background music, no elaborate effects.

This seemingly risky choice brings a rare authentic and emotional experience to the audience. Each Then word, dance, and musical sound is conveyed in an original way, making the audience feel like they are immersed in the real Then ritual space in the Viet Bac village.

The program also becomes a fascinating cultural "journey" taking the audience through typical Then regions such as: Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Lang Son, Quang Ninh.

Along with the Then songs with new lyrics, ancient Then excerpts are introduced one by one: "Qua hai" (Crossing the sea) full of courage by the Nung people; "Luom coc bjooc" (Flower cultivation ceremony) full of love by the Tay people; "Pu slang pu luong" (compensating salary for the elderly) showing filial piety; "Tang tuong" (Welcoming the general) by the Nung people showing the shamanic nature in Then, where the artists invite the gods to descend to earth, showing the spiritual depth in ancient Then...

People's Artist Nong Thi Lim (85 years old, Lang Son) is one of the "big trees" of Then singing art, especially ancient Then.

Connecting generations to keep the flow going

Behind the success of the Program are the efforts of the elderly artisans - "old trees" such as People's Artist Nong Thi Lim (85 years old), People's Artist Trieu Thuy Tien (over 70 years old)... Despite their old age, with enthusiasm, they still voluntarily participate, even taking care of their own travel expenses so that the Tinh and Then melodies can be fully performed.

“Sac Then Viet Bac” has come to an end, the success of the Program is a testament to the connection between generations. Veteran artisans have inspired enthusiastic young people such as Artisan Nguyen Xuan Bach, lecturer at Viet Bac College of Culture and Arts and members of the Organizing Committee.

They have created a meaningful stage where the heritage can be fully reproduced with the greatest wish: for future generations to know and see that there was a generation that devoted themselves to the Then heritage like that. The journey to preserve the Then soul is still long, but with all that enthusiasm, this cool cultural "stream" will certainly continue to flow forever in the lives of Vietnamese people.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202509/sac-then-viet-bac-danh-thuc-di-san-bang-trai-nghiem-moc-ban-657058e/