With its unique and distinctive characteristics, the Then singing and Tinh (a traditional stringed instrument) performances of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups in Bac Giang have been carefully preserved and promoted. The province aims to transform Then heritage into a tourism product at community-based tourism sites to serve domestic and international visitors.
Then is an ancient traditional cultural practice of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups who live in the mountainous districts of Bac Giang.
Restoration and preservation of Then singing art in Yen The.
This folk performance genre is a combination of various art forms such as poetry, singing, dancing, painting, and music, enriching the spiritual and cultural life of the ethnic communities.
According to Meritorious Artisan Luc Van Tich from Son Hai commune, Luc Ngan district, Then art is divided into two types: Then in rituals and Then in daily cultural and art activities.
It helps cultivate the soul, emotions, will, and aspirations for a prosperous and happy life, and has been passed down through generations.
With its significant cultural values, in 2019, "Then practice of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people in Vietnam" was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Bac Giang is one of 11 provinces in the northern midland and mountainous region with Then heritage. In Bac Giang, the Tay and Nung people are the second largest ethnic groups after the Kinh, concentrated in Luc Ngan, Son Dong, Luc Nam, Yen The, and Lang Giang districts.
According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, over the past years, the preservation and promotion of Then values have received attention from local authorities and the public with various solutions and activities.
In many places, folk culture clubs have been established, and training classes have been organised to teach people of all ages, especially the youth.
Under Project 6 on “Preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development,” Then practice has been included in the list of tourism products serving tourism in recent years, with initial positive results.
These include organising Then singing and Tinh instrument playing festivals at the Tay Yen Tu Spiritual and Ecological Tourism Area, the Khe Ro Ecological Tourism Area (Son Dong), and community-based tourism sites in Ven village (Yen The), Van Hoa Ho Va (Luc Nam), and Bau Tien (Luc Ngan).
The melodies of Then take listeners to the beautiful and captivating landscapes of the mountainous regions, leaving many tourists fascinated and delighted.
These activities gradually transform the traditional cultural identity of the ethnic groups into an attractive community tourism product for visitors from near and far.
In the highland district of Son Dong, more than 30% of the population is Tay. Every year, the locality organises the Then singing and Tinh instrument playing festival in communes with a large Tay population, such as Vinh An, Le Vien, Van Son, An Lac, and Huu San, in association with promoting tourism in the Khe Ro - Dong Cao area and the An Chau boat racing festival.
Bac Giang province aims to gradually spread Then heritage within the community, eventually developing it into a unique cultural tourism product, contributing to the enhancement of Then heritage and traditional cultural values associated with tourism development in the region in the future.
With its significant cultural values, in 2019, "Then practice of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people in Vietnam" was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Thuy Ha
