Fueling the profession for "living human treasures"

The "soul" of heritage

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province currently has 246 artisans, including 15 People's Artisans, 80 Meritorious Artisans and 151 artisans honored by the province and the central government in traditional folk art forms. With talent, passion and perseverance, generations of artisans have continuously protected, practiced and passed on the precious heritage of their ancestors, encouraging the younger generation to follow in their footsteps, maintain and enrich the cultural identity of their homeland.

People's Artist Nguyen Thi Quynh guides her sister in making betel leaves.

A typical representative of the soul and character of the people of Bac Ninh - Kinh Bac is the Quan Ho cultural heritage. The vitality of Quan Ho today is not only thanks to the community's cooperation but more importantly, the dedication of many generations of artisans who have carefully crafted each lyric, each melody, each elegant behavior to weave and preserve the precious treasures of their homeland. The artisans not only love and understand the heritage but also diligently pass it on so that the heritage will not be lost.

Bac Ninh is the only province that has conferred titles and has a monthly support mechanism for artisans of heritage types recognized by UNESCO, namely: Quan Ho folk song artisans, Ca Tru artisans, and artisans practicing the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship. This is not only a superior policy to help artisans feel secure in practicing the heritage, but also a step that demonstrates the vision and respect for the talent and dedication of people who have devoted their lives to the heritage, and are honored by the community as "living human treasures".

People's Artist Nguyen Thi Quynh (Kim Quynh) has been associated with the Quan Ho Duong Xa Club (Kinh Bac Ward) for more than 30 years and confided: "The elders said that Quan Ho has no age. The previous generation teaches the next generation, thanks to which Quan Ho is continued forever. We come to Quan Ho with love, passion, and practice to preserve the heritage, not thinking about titles or rewards. However, when we were awarded the title of artisan and received monthly support from the province, we were very touched and proud. From then on, we became more aware of our responsibility and devoted ourselves to teaching the heritage to the next generation."

After the province's merger, the administrative space of Bac Ninh was expanded with more than 20 ethnic groups living together. Each ethnic group has its own characteristics in terms of customs, costumes, cuisine and beliefs... creating a colorful cultural picture. In particular, the heritage of Then singing and Tinh lute is a long-standing traditional cultural activity, both associated with rituals and the daily life of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups. For more than 10 years of passion for preserving the art of Then singing, Meritorious Artist Luc Van Tich in Cau Sat village, Son Hai commune said: “Then not only appears in rituals but also in cultural activities, production labor, and love duet singing. Over the years, with my passion and the knowledge I learned from artisans in Lang Son, I have made efforts to teach Then singing and Tinh lute to hundreds of students of ethnic boarding schools as well as Then singing clubs in and outside the province. In addition to teaching, I also actively compose and write new lyrics for many ancient Then melodies. My greatest wish is that the Then heritage will be known more widely and respected more to be worthy of this unique value."

Support for artisans

Honoring artisans is not only a recognition of their contributions but also clearly demonstrates the responsibility of the Party and State in preserving cultural quintessence. More importantly, the preferential treatment policy will motivate the next generation to be proud, focus on training, and continue the path of preserving heritage.

Meritorious Artist Luc Van Tich teaches students to play the Tinh zither.

From 2010 to June 2025, both Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces have previously held three awards ceremonies for artisans in the field of intangible cultural heritage. Bac Ninh province (old) has awarded and honored a total of 203 artisans. Of which, 10 People's Artisans and 42 Meritorious Artisans were awarded the title by the President. Bac Giang province has considered the President's proposal to award the title to 5 People's Artisans and 38 Meritorious Artisans in the field of intangible cultural heritage.

Bac Ninh is the pioneering locality in the country to implement the policy of conferring titles and supporting artisans in the field of intangible heritage. Meritorious Artisans and People's Artisans, after being conferred the title, are now supported monthly by the province with a budget ranging from 1.5 to 4.6 million VND/month.

In addition, Bac Ninh is also the only province to confer titles and have a monthly support mechanism for artisans of the types of heritage recognized by UNESCO: Quan Ho folk song artisans, Ca Tru artisans, and artisans practicing the worship of the Mother Goddess of the Three Realms of the Vietnamese people. This is not only a superior policy to help artisans feel secure in practicing the heritage, but also a step that demonstrates the vision and respect for the talent and dedication of people who have devoted their lives to the heritage and are honored by the community as "living human treasures".

With the right awareness, humane behavior, and the attention of Party committees, authorities, and the community, we believe that artisans in the field of intangible cultural heritage will continue to enjoy the province's preferential policies. Thereby, creating motivation for traditional folk performing arts to "bloom and flourish" in contemporary life, contributing to enriching national identity and enhancing the homeland's position in the journey of international integration.

Article and photos: Thuan Thao

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/tiep-lua-nghe-cho-nhung-bau-vat-nhan-van-song--postid428986.bbg