Creative ways to preserve cultural heritage.

In recent years, with passion and creativity, many young people have contributed to reviving traditional cultural forms of ethnic minorities in the province. This is not only a continuation of the heritage, but also a way for the younger generation to demonstrate responsibility in preserving and promoting the cultural values ​​of their ancestors.

The Tac Xinh dance – a dance deeply rooted in the culture of the San Chay people – will be recreated by young people in the Bac Kan Culture and Tourism Week 2025 program (to be held at the end of April 2025).

Continuing and preserving

Despite being only in his early twenties, Hoang Van Quan from Na Ri commune has a special love for lullabies – a national intangible cultural heritage of Thai Nguyen province. When the local authorities organized a class to teach Tay ethnic lullabies, Quan and other youth union members from Na Ri commune actively participated. Previously, lullabies were mainly passed down orally through generations, making them susceptible to fading away. Aware of this, Quan proactively recorded and carefully compiled the melodies, printing them into documents to share and spread to many young people for learning and preservation.

Young people are becoming the core of folk art troupes, contributing to the revival of cultural identity to serve tourism development.

Anh Quân shared: "In modern life, with many attractive forms of culture and art for young people, some folk melodies, including lullabies, are gradually fading away, and even risk disappearing. Many young mothers have forgotten lullabies – a unique way of conveying affection, deeply rooted in the identity of Tay women. Therefore, even as a young man, I still want to learn this melody proficiently to pass it on to other young people."

Today's young generation are the direct inheritors and guardians of traditional cultural values. No longer passively receiving, many young people actively participate in heritage preservation activities such as: attending traditional festivals, learning about historical sites and traditional crafts, and participating in projects to preserve national culture. They also actively attend heritage education classes, participate in workshops, and independently seek information to gain a deeper understanding of their ancestors' cultural identity.

Students from Cho Moi Ethnic Boarding Junior High School in Cho Moi commune participate in activities to learn about and experience traditional culture.

Participating in extracurricular activities organized by the school to introduce the cultural heritage of Vietnam's ethnic groups, Trieu Thi Le Sen, a 9th-grade student at Cho Moi Ethnic Boarding Junior High School in Cho Moi commune, said: "I regularly learn about the beauty of traditional costumes, folk games, and folk songs and dances. My school requires us to wear ethnic costumes on the first day of the week. In addition, we also include performances of Then singing and Bat dancing in the school's cultural program."

Mr. Ban Duc Bao, a Dao ethnic minority member from Quan Chu commune, is a respected figure in the ethnic minority community: " To prevent the loss of Dao culture, for the past few years, I have been running free Dao language classes for the people. Anyone who wants to learn, I accept them; my house has become a classroom. My students are of all ages, from old to young, and to make it easier for learners to grasp the material, I divide them according to their proficiency level and teach them different topics..."

In recent times, many schools in the province have established folk art clubs and teams; organizing the teaching and transmission of traditional cultural heritage to the younger generation. Many students have become active participants, possessing both artistic talent and a passion for learning and performing ethnic folk songs. Each member of the club also teaches the dances and folk songs to their classmates during school art festivals...

Creativity and dissemination

In Ban Ca village, Nghia Ta commune, many young people of the Dao Tien ethnic group are being taught the traditional embroidery and beeswax printing crafts of their people.

Luu Hoang Van Khanh, a member of the Folk Arts Club at Ngan Son Ethnic Boarding School in Ngan Son commune, said : "When I joined the club, I learned traditional dances like the Bat dance, Then singing and Dan Tinh playing, and Luon singing... For us, it's not only a source of pride but also a responsibility of the younger generation in preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of our ancestors."

Today's young generation not only plays a role in preserving cultural heritage but also becomes a creative force, spreading cultural values ​​in the digital age. Through activities such as preserving and introducing heritage to the community and creating content on digital platforms, they contribute to bringing traditional culture closer to the public.

As a member of the Con Poong village's performing arts team in Nam Cuong commune, Ms. Dao Thi Mai has maximized the benefits of social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook to introduce many tourist destinations in the highlands, traditional culture, unique dishes, and performing arts shows for tourists visiting Ba Be Lake. The combination of traditional culture with modern promotional methods that Ms. Mai has created has attracted the attention of many people to traditional values.

Besides traditional folk songs like "then," "dan tinh," and "luon nang oi," Ms. Mai and the club members have collected and staged dance performances that reflect the unique cultural characteristics of local ethnic groups, such as the bowl dance, Dao dance, and Nung hat dance, to entertain tourists. Ms. Mai added: "To continuously improve the quality and uniqueness of the performances for tourists, club members proactively collect and revive many fading melodies and rituals, while also creating new content that suits modern tourism trends but still preserves the traditional spirit. The performances are increasingly well-invested and professional, helping tourists feel the essence of the traditional culture of the local ethnic groups when they visit."

Screenshot from a video by the team that won the Special Prize in the "Thai Nguyen AImazing" competition to promote tourism in Thai Nguyen using AI applications.

Most recently, the "Promoting Thai Nguyen Tourism - Creative Destinations with the Power of AI" competition, organized by the Department of Education and Training, demonstrated the role of young people in promoting and spreading the cultural values, land, and people of Thai Nguyen to domestic and international tourists. Nearly 300 entries from students across the province showcased a youthful and modern perspective on Thai Nguyen's culture and tourism through AI-powered applications, bringing cultural heritage closer to everyone. Leveraging their ability to quickly adapt and learn, the students effectively utilized digital technology to promote cultural heritage, connecting people with the past and present, and fostering interest and appreciation for the province's heritage sites.

Currently, Thai Nguyen province has 45 nationally recognized intangible cultural heritage sites. This is a valuable human resource, providing a foundation for the development of cultural tourism – a type of tourism that is becoming increasingly popular. In the trend of integration and digital transformation, the younger generation, with their advantage of quickly accessing technology, is becoming the core force bringing traditional culture closer to communities both domestically and internationally. With creativity and responsibility, they are "breathing modern life" into national cultural values, contributing to the revival of heritage and promoting the socio-economic development of the locality.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202508/sang-tao-gin-giu-di-san-van-hoa-8612830/