"Keeping the flame alive" for the cultural heritage of the Bahnar K'riem and H're ethnic groups.

(GLO) - By the end of 2025, two folk culture clubs of the Bahnar K'riem ethnic group in Vinh Son commune and the H're ethnic group in An Vinh commune will be established, opening up spaces for activities, preservation, and promotion of traditional cultural values ​​with long-term significance.

The two clubs were established within the framework of Project 6 “Preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development”, under the National Target Program for socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas giai đoạn 2021-2030.

The project is being implemented by the Department of Ethnic Cultures of Vietnam (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) in coordination with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and local authorities.

To keep heritage alive with the community.

Each club has 50 members, including artisans, village elders, respected individuals, and local youth union members. Through the club's activities, folk songs, folk dances, gong music, traditional musical instruments, costumes, festivals, and handicrafts associated with the beliefs, customs, and traditions of the Bahnar K'riem and H're people are preserved and passed on in a vibrant and accessible way within the community.

The Bahnar K'riem Folk Culture Club in Vinh Son commune is expected to create a space for community cultural activities and contribute to preserving ethnic identity. Photo: Ngoc Nhuan

In Vinh Son commune, the Bahnar K'riem Folk Culture Club is considered a gathering place for those passionate about preserving the cultural essence of the highland villages. People's Artist Dinh Chuong, from K8 village (Vinh Son commune) - a person who has dedicated his life to the cultural heritage of the Bahnar K'riem people - has been entrusted with the responsibility of being the club's chairman.

“For many years, I have been teaching the children and grandchildren in the village to play gongs and perform traditional dances. Now that there is a club with regular activities, I hope that the cultural values ​​of our ancestors will spread more strongly to the younger generation,” Mr. Dinh Chuong happily shared.

Sharing the same sentiment, many elderly artisans in Vinh Son believe that the club is not only a place for performances, but also a space for exchange and the revival of cultural values ​​that are facing the risk of disappearing. Artisan Dinh Bon, from K4 village - a member of the club, confided: "Through club activities, stories about festivals, customs, and traditions of the Bahnar K'riem people will be recreated and retold to help the younger generation better understand the culture of our ethnic group."

In An Vinh commune, the establishment of the H're ethnic group's Folk Culture Club also carries many expectations. Artisan Dinh Xuan Hai, from An Trung village, hamlet 6 – the club's chairman, shared: “For many years, we have been concerned that fewer and fewer young people understand folk songs, folk dances, and traditional musical instruments of the H're ethnic group such as the goang lute, ra dong lute, v'reng lute, v'roac lute, ta lia flute… With the club and the attention and support of the State, we will organize more systematic teaching so that our descendants can preserve these traditions.”

Linking cultural preservation with tourism development.

A common point in the launch of the two folk culture clubs of the Bahnar K'riem ethnic group in Vinh Son commune and the H're ethnic group in An Vinh commune is that they both aim to promote the role of the community as the main actors in heritage preservation, creating a foundation for sustainable tourism development.

Within the framework of the program, the Department of Ethnic Cultures of Vietnam also organizes training courses to equip local people with skills in community tourism, linked to maintaining, practicing, and transmitting cultural heritage.

The launching ceremony of the H're ethnic minority folk culture club in An Vinh commune. Photo: N. Nhuận

Mr. Le Thanh Hoa, Deputy Head of the Department of Ethnic Culture Affairs (Vietnam National Administration of Culture), said: "The project does not preserve traditional culture in a rigid way, but aims to allow traditional culture to be practiced in daily life, inherited by the younger generation, and gradually connected with community tourism development."

When people understand the value of their own culture and benefit from its preservation, the heritage will have lasting vitality. Mr. Dinh Cu, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Son commune, said: “Establishing the club is an important first step, because it involves the voluntary and proactive participation of the community. In the future, the locality will aim to maintain the club's activities, develop cultural tourism and community tourism products, and create stable livelihoods for the people while preserving their ethnic identity.”

According to the An Vinh Commune Department of Culture, the H're Folk Culture Club will be the core force in organizing community cultural activities, serving festivals and events in the locality; and at the same time contributing to introducing the H're cultural identity to tourists.

Mr. Dinh Van May, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department (An Vinh Commune People's Committee), said: "To develop community tourism, we must first preserve the cultural essence. The club will be a place to nurture and spread those values."

From the perspective of the younger generation, Ms. Dinh Thi Dieu Men, from Hamlet 4, An Dung - a member of the H're ethnic group's Folk Culture Club in An Vinh commune, said: "Joining the club is not only about preserving the precious heritage of our ancestors, but also an opportunity for the younger generation to become ambassadors of the village. Young people have the advantage of accessing technology, which allows them to introduce their ethnic culture to tourists in a more vivid and intimate way."

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/tiep-lua-di-san-van-hoa-dan-toc-bahnar-kriem-hre-post576889.html