Thai culture in Dien Bien: A source that flows forever

The Thai people are one of the three ethnic groups with the largest population in Dien Bien province. Through a long development process in the Northwest, the Thai people have created for themselves a unique and distinctive culture.

Members of the Na Lay Ward Elderly Arts Club, Muong Lay Town, perform ancient dances, Dien Bien Province.

Over the years, with passion, responsibility and understanding, the Thai people have diligently researched, collected and published books about their unique culture, while preserving and conserving traditional songs, dances and musical instruments.

Ms. Bac Thi Luyen in Tong Khao village, Thanh Nua commune, Dien Bien district is one of the few people who still preserve the unique cultural values through dances, songs, and voices of the Thai ethnic group. With her passion, in February 2019, she founded the Hoa ban khuong ban em (Hoa ban san ban em) Muong Thanh Dien Bien Club - a gathering place for people who love Thai ethnic dances.

The club has 150 members, divided into 12 art troupes, operating mainly in Tuan Giao and Dien Bien districts. The traditional dances performed by the club members such as the flower dance and the xoe dance are imbued with Thai culture... The club members are Thai ethnic people, people who love Thai culture and have been preserving and promoting these cultural values to pass on to future generations.

Ms. Bac Thi Luyen said that since she was a child, she was immersed in traditional Thai dances, memorizing every movement and every song of her grandparents and parents, thereby fostering her love for ethnic culture. "I want to preserve and pass on to future generations the culture of my people. At first, I gathered people to form an art troupe, which gradually developed into a club," Ms. Luyen shared.

Besides songs and dances, in modern life, many traditional cultural features of the Thai people are gradually fading away, including writing and some customs. Faced with this reality, Mr. Tong Van Han in Lieng village, Noong Luong commune, Dien Bien district has restored some of his ethnic culture by researching, collecting and publishing 15 books. This source of books has revived part of the traditional cultural treasure of the Thai ethnic community, the Black Thai branch in Dien Bien in particular, and the Northwest in general. In addition to collecting and researching ancient Thai folk knowledge in the system of customary laws and rituals, Mr. Han also participates in teaching ancient Thai characters to local people.

Mr. Tong Van Han said that after writing, translating, understanding and commenting on the Thai people's proverbs and folk songs, he opened a class to teach Thai writing to his ethnic community. He encouraged people to voluntarily come and learn with them the proverbs and folk songs about production experience, community behavior, and the feelings of brothers, relatives and neighbors. Thereby, creating a solid foundation for the community to preserve the intangible culture of the nation, and expanding so that descendants can learn and read their ancient Thai writing.

Muong Lay town of Dien Bien province is known as the capital and cultural center of the White Thai people in the Northwest, with cultural heritages and traditional rituals preserved and passed down for generations. Up to now, the artisans of these unique art forms still preserve and teach them to future generations to preserve and promote. Artisan Vang Van Thuc, with more than 30 years of practicing and teaching the art of Then singing, is considered the keeper of the soul of the Thai people in Muong Lay. He performs Then melodies in various ceremonies such as the ceremony to ward off bad luck, the ceremony to celebrate a new house, the ceremony to wish longevity, the ceremony to pray for peace...

Artisan Vang Van Thuc said that since he was a child, he had heard his mother sing Then melodies. Although he did not understand them, he found them interesting and exciting. Growing up, following his mother to perform Then singing everywhere in the region, he understood and loved these melodies even more. Being taught ancient Then melodies by his mother and with his own efforts, he has been able to skillfully and flexibly use Then melodies to perform in different ceremonies. In order to prevent the ancient Then melodies from being lost, Mr. Thuc has taught them to his children and grandchildren in the family as well as Then lovers in all regions of the country, with the desire to contribute to preserving the precious traditional cultural values of the Thai people.

Currently, in Dien Bien province, Thai ethnic people in various localities have established many clubs and mass art troupes about their ethnic culture. Together, they collect, practice, perform, and teach unique Thai dances, songs, and musical instruments. Preserving the cultural identity of the Thai ethnic people not only contributes to enriching the spiritual and cultural life of ethnic minority communities in Dien Bien province, but is also a resource to promote socio -economic development.

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