A flute sound

For many generations, the Khen has not only been a musical instrument but also a spiritual symbol, the crystallization of culture, soul and intelligence of the Mong ethnic people in the North of the province. Made from available materials, the Khen has a clear, long, melodious tone, easily touching the memories, awakening the emotions of the highland people.

The Khen dance is often performed at spring festivals.

Mong flute identity

In the northern region of the province, there are about 25 thousand Mong ethnic people living, concentrated in the communes of Cao Minh, Nghien Loan, Bang Thanh, Ba Be, Cho Moi, Na Phac, Van Lang...

For many generations, the Khen has been used in many festivals, such as: Long Tong Festival in early spring, village worship ceremony, New Year's harvest prayer ceremony, ethnic cultural festival... The sound of the Khen resounds in the fields, in the center of the village, among the mountains, promising a prosperous life; solidarity, love and connection as if looking towards a bright future that always awaits ahead.

Artisan Hoang Minh Tan, Head of the Mong Panpipe Club of Cao Minh Commune, shared: The Mong people's panpipes when performed at festivals all have clear messages, encouraging labor, production and daily activities... Not only the music , the way each panpipe is performed when blowing, vibrating, holding the breath, and humming also creates its own unique features, expressing the creative spirit of the artisans.

Every time the Khen is played, the Mong people, old and young, men and women, all join in the music and dance, intimately telling stories about life and the feelings of the mountains and land. The Khen stimulates the community space, eliminates the gap between age and status, and creates a close connection.

From the artistic values of the Mong panpipe, in 2015, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized "The art of panpipe dancing of the Mong ethnic group in Bac Kan province" as a national intangible cultural heritage. That contributes to preserving and teaching the art of Mong panpipe dancing; preserving the method of making panpipes from materials such as bamboo, rattan, how to choose the tube, the blowing rhythm, the uniformity of the tone... associated with the skill of transmitting and transmitting the breath from generation to generation.

Also according to artisan Hoang Minh Tan, despite its great cultural value, solidarity, and spreading beauty in the community, the Mong flute is facing many risks of being lost due to many different reasons. In particular, with economic development and integration, many young people leave their villages, study independent professions to earn money, and have little time to learn flute. Those who play and make good flutes are getting older, while there are not many people who want to learn. It is estimated that in the area there are only a few dozen people who are capable of making flutes and performing...

Currently, the sound of the Khen mainly exists in a narrow range, in villages, festivals... lacking places to practice. The staging, organization of festivals, and performances are quite rare. Although there has been attention from all levels, sectors, and localities, in reality, the Hmong Khen has not yet been able to connect the performance and dissemination with tourism - culture. There is no specialized "Hmong Khen" tour program, no large-scale Khen festival to promote, and no tourism products such as learning to play the Khen, watching performances, buying souvenir Khen, experiencing Khen making... have not been exploited.

Aspiration to preserve and promote Mong panpipe culture

Mr. Ly Hong Quan and his students perform the Khen dance.

In fact, some localities such as Cao Minh and Nghien Loan have organized Khen dance classes, combined with instructions on building a model of “Khen Club” for local ethnic minority children and students. The teaching is organized outside of class hours, or every Saturday night… Artists in the clubs take turns teaching for free, however, the number is still modest compared to the wishes of the artists.

Mr. Ly Hong Quan (Nghien Loan commune) is one of the artisans who has been teaching young people with the same passion for Mong flute for many years in the locality. He wishes that: Provincial and local authorities should consider allocating appropriate funding sources and have mechanisms to facilitate the locality to organize classes and teach this art form. At the same time, develop a plan for Mong flute festivals and other ethnic art forms at the provincial level to exchange regions...; strengthen communication so that tourists know, enjoy, experience and spread Mong flute culture.

The Hmong flute in the province is not only a musical instrument, but also a symbol of the identity and aspirations of the Hmong people. Preserving and promoting the Hmong flute culture is to preserve, make the flute sound resound and spread traditional values, associated with investment in developing cultural tourism, building a rich spiritual life for the people.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/tieu-diem/202508/thao-thuc-mot-tieng-khen-35f0acb/