Gong performances at the Guol house in Doi village, Thuong Lo commune

The torchbearers

Mr. Doan Van Dong, 33 years old, a young artisan of Thuong Long commune, is affectionately called “teacher Dong” by the locals. According to Mr. Le Nhu Suu, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Nam Dong district, in Thuong Long there are many people who are good at playing gongs, but those with the pedagogical skills to pass on like Mr. Dong are very rare.

Since childhood, Dong has been exposed to gongs and soon showed his talent. Thanks to his passion and natural talent, Dong has mastered all 7 sets of traditional gong rhythms of the Co Tu people.

With his skillful gong playing technique, Dong's gong sound not only resonates far but also carries deep emotional nuances. Every time the mallet hits the gong's surface, the sound is deep, strong and lively like the narrative of the mountains and forests. For many years, Dong has been trusted by Nam Dong district to participate in ethnic art performance troupes from the North to the South, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang. His dedication is not only the pride of his family, but also the motivation for many other young people in the village to learn and continue this cultural tradition.

In Thuong Quang commune, artisan Ta Ruong Vinh, despite his old age, still persistently guides his students through each gong beat and each movement. Mr. Vinh said: “The rhythms have been available since ancient times, if you want to learn them, you just need to be patient and diligent. Playing the gong is not difficult, but to play it well and emotionally, you need to be skillful and careful with each beat.”

Among Mr. Vinh’s students, Mr. Ho Van Dot is the one who often accompanies him in practice sessions. “Thanks to Mr. Vinh, we have a complete understanding of gongs. Not only in big festivals but also on normal days, we organize competitions between villages to maintain gong culture,” Mr. Dot shared.

Unique culture

In the mountainous district of Nam Dong, the resounding sound of gongs has become an indispensable part of the cultural life of the Co Tu people, especially in Thuong Long commune. Here, with more than 500 gongs in 374 households, gongs are not only musical instruments but also sacred symbols, closely associated with the life and spirituality of the people.

According to Mr. Ta Ruong Mao, former cultural officer of Thuong Long commune, each clan or village in the commune owns its own set of gongs, which are respected and never borrowed from each other on important occasions. The fact that each family has its own set of gongs has turned gongs into an indispensable part of people's life and culture, clearly demonstrating respect for tradition and the responsibility of each person in maintaining national identity.

Mr. Doan Van Dong is proud that in Thuong Long, children grow up with the sound of gongs, thanks to which each child gradually feels the love and pride for the cultural heritage of their ancestors. “My son is only 15 years old but he already knows how to play gongs proficiently. Here, children are familiar with the sound of gongs and gong music from a young age as an inseparable part of their childhood,” Mr. Dong shared.

The unique thing about Nam Dong is that young people in the villages not only learn to play gongs to participate in festivals, but also regularly organize exchanges and competitions between villages to create a vibrant atmosphere. In the afternoons after work, the sound of gongs from one village resounds, and other villages respond, creating secret exchanges between young people. “Those who know how to listen will immediately know which village is good at playing, and those who don’t know will find a teacher to learn more. The sound of gongs is not only music but also a means of communication, a link between villages and between people,” Mr. Mao shared.

These competitions and exchanges not only help young people practice their skills, but also help them better understand the value and profound meaning of gongs in the life of the community. From there, they realize that preserving and promoting the gong heritage is not only a responsibility but also a pride for their national identity, helping the gong sounds of Nam Dong to forever resonate in today's life and in the future.

Mr. Le Thanh Ho, Vice Chairman of Nam Dong District People's Committee, said that the district is currently organizing many classes to teach traditional ethnic musical instruments in Thuong Long and Thuong Quang communes. Students are taught how to use traditional musical instruments such as: Tam reng, monochord, a tor, a bel, panpipes, flutes, drums, gongs, etc. For the Co Tu people, musical instruments are unique spiritual and cultural products that are both sacred and a spiritual need after hours of hard work.


Bach Chau