To preserve and promote their culture, artisans, village chiefs, and other interested people in Lai Chau province have organized classes to teach the language of their ethnic group. The village chiefs have also documented folk songs, folk dances, and customs in order to introduce them to a wider community.
Traditional cultural values of ethnic minority groups are taught at many schools in Lai Chau province. (Photo: VOV)
The Then singing and Tinh musical instrument club in Muong Cang commune, Than Uyen district has been open 3 days a week for 17 years, helping to preserve and promote the culture of the local Thai ethnic people. Lo Van Chon, the head of the club, says the club now has 30 members and two art troupes, who are mostly middle-aged and elderly people.
“We meet on a regular basis because folk songs are part of our lives. We often compose new songs to the accompaniment of the Tinh musical instrument,” he said.
The Then singing and Tinh musical instrument club is just one of several activities helping to preserve the culture of the ethnic minority groups in Lai Chau province.
In Muong Cang commune which is considered the cultural cradle of the Black Thai people in northwestern Vietnam, people have preserved their traditional beliefs, art, architecture, festivals, ancestor worship, dances, songs, musical instruments, farm tools, and household utensils. Muong Cang recently adopted programs, plans, and regulations including regularly organizing cultural and art activities, sports, and folk games.
“Over the past 2 years, 13 art troupes and 2 clubs of Then singing have been operating regularly in our commune. Each school in the locality has set up a space to display local cultural items, and clubs for extra-curricular activities to preserve local culture,” said Nguyen Tu Cang, Chairman of the Muong Cang commune People’s Committee.
Than Uyen district has been working to restore, preserve, maintain and promote the culture of the Thai, Mong, Dao, and Kho Mu ethnic groups. So far, the district has established a Steering Committee to preserve the cultural identities of the 4 ethnic groups and 8 steering committees to implement a new cultural lifestyle.
“We have restored 4 festivals – 2 of the Black Thai people, 1 of the Khmu people, and 1 of the Mong people. We have also restored folk games and work tools, and created 4 cultural spaces to reenact traditional art and music performances,” said Le Thi Kim Ngan, Vice Chairwoman of Than Uyen district’s Party Committee.
There are more than 1,000 art troupes in villages in Lai Chau. (Photo: VOV)
Tran Manh Hung, Deputy Head of Lai Chau province’s Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, says the province has promulgated a resolution to encourage cultural preservation.
“This resolution is being implemented at all levels and in all sectors. We have focused on cultural tourism and community tourism development,” said Hung.
Lai Chau province has 5 national intangible cultural heritages: Xoe dance and the tug-of-war game of the Thai, the Tu Cai festival of the Dao, the Gau Tao festival of the Mong, and the brocade weaving of the Lu.
