Culture - Sports

Lang Son establishes clubs to preserve Then singing

Lang Son encouraged the establishment of local Then singing clubs to promote the development of this genre of traditional singing – a typical culture of Tay, Nung and Thai ethnic people in the northern mountainous region.
Lang Son establishes clubs to preserve Then singing ảnh 1Lang Son artists in Then singing performance (Source: VNA)

Lang Son (VNA) – Lang Son province has encouraged the establishment oflocal Then singing clubs to promote the development of this genre oftraditional singing – a typical culture of Tay, Nung and Thai ethnic people in thenorthern mountainous region.

Head of the provincial traditional singing and musicalinstrument club Trieu Thuy Tien said that the establishment of these clubs is apractical movement to help preserve and promote the value of Then singing,which is always accompanied by a handmade gourd lute called “Dan tinh” or “TinhTau”, in the locality.

Since its formation in 2009, the club has attracted over 300members. The birth of the club has motivated the establishment of other Thensinging clubs in Lang Son’s districts.

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sportsand Tourism, the province is home to 65 clubs with around 1,400 members.

Hoang Thi Thuy, member of Noc Kham Khac club in Na Sam town,Van Lang district, said that after nearly 5 years, her club now has 26 memberswho love Then singing and Dan Tinh at all age groups, from 10 to 78 years old.

Thuy expressed her hope that local authorities will organisemore exchange programmes for clubs in order to offer amateur artists chances tomeet and share experience.

To preserve and promote the value of this genre of singing,Tien stressed the need to maintain Tay and Nung languages in Then songs.

For Tay, Nung and Thai people, Then singing is an indispensable part of theirreligious and spiritual lives, even back when the art was on the brink offalling into oblivion.

According to researchers, the word “Then” originates from“Thien”, which means sky or heaven. Therefore, Then singing is regarded as atune of the Gods by local ethnic people.

Music theorist Nguyen Thi Minh Chau from the VietnamAssociation of Composers said Then was created by Tay, Nung and Thai ethnicgroups.

Then is considered a spiritual product reflecting the socialand cultural life of people with a special combination of literature, music anddance, she said.

Those practicing Then are labourers who understand localcustoms and carry out important rituals for communities and individuals inimportant periods of life. Thereby, Then is believed to derive from the workinglife of people, she added.

The most important figures in a Then singing performance are“Ong Then” and “Ba Then” who can sing, dance and play a musical instrument atthe same time during rituals while presenting offerings to God, helping theethnic community to ask for good health, bumper crops, happiness and a longlife.

Then singing is practised in many northern provinces,including Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, Ha Giang, Quang Ninh, SonLa, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Bac Giang and Yen Bai, and the Central Highlandsprovince of Dak Lak.

There are two types of Then singing: Then Ky Yen (prayingfor good things) and Then Le Hoi (Then festival). The first is performed atrituals while the latter is to bring cheer and drive away sorrow and hardshipsin life and is normally used in rituals to pray for good crops, enter a newhome, or cap sac (coming-of-age).

The sixth edition of the National Festival of TraditionalThen singing will take place on May 12-14 in the northern mountainous provinceof Ha Giang, as part of national culture, sports and tourism activities tohonour, preserve and develop this traditional art form.

Art troupes from 14 provinces and cities where many Tay,Nung and Thai ethnic people reside such as Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, BacKan, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Bac Giang, Quang Ninh, Yen Bai, Lao Cai, Son La,Dien Bien, Lai Chau and Dak Lak, will perform different types of Then singing.

A series of events will be held during the festival such asperformances of Then singing, a photo exhibition on Then cultural heritage andintroduction of traditional weaving of Tay, Nung and Thai ethnic groups. HaGiang – the host of the event will also take this occasion to organiseactivities to promote its tourism.

Last year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourismsigned a dossier on Then singing for submission to UNESCO asking for therecognition of this art form as part of world intangible cultural heritage.-VNA
VNA
#Lang Son#Then singing clubs#Tay#Nung#traditional singing#Dan tinh#National Festival of Traditional Then singing#Vietnamplus#Vietnam News Agency
Follow VietnamPlus

Related News

Then heritage in Vietnamese cultural life

Then heritage in Vietnamese cultural life

Those who have visited Tay, Nung and Thai ethnic people in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam are often astounded by traditional Then singing, which is accompanied by a handmade gourd lute called “Dan tinh” or “Tinh Tau”.

See more

Vietnamese football players try to put pressure on their opponents but spurned chances to break the duck. (Photo: VNA)

Football: Vietnam held to goalless home draw by Kyrgyzstan

Vietnamese could not make home ground advantage count as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Kyrgyzstan at the Group I of the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2025 Qualifiers held in the northern province of Phu Tho on October 23.

The excavation covers an area of over 6,000sq.m with 60 research pits, each measuring 100sq.m. (Photo courtesy of the Institute of Archaeology)

Over 100 burials from 4000 years ago discovered in Hanoi

Archaeologists from the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology, the Hanoi Museum and the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities have announced the discovery of over 70 graves from the pre-Dong Son period and 40 graves from Dong Son period at the Vuon Chuoi archaeological relic in Kim Chung commune, Hoai Duc district.

Pho bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) and nem ran (fried spring rolls) attract the attention of many Korean and foreign visitors at a festival in the Republic of Korea. (Photo: VNA)

Festival promotes Vietnam-RoK cultural exchange

A cultural festival has been held in Uijeongbu city of the Republic of Korea (RoK)'s Gyeonggi province to mark the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam Women’s Association (VWA) in the country.

The women dance to the tunes of the “Nguoi Ha Noi (Hanoi people)”, “Tien ve Ha Noi” (Marching to Hanoi), and “Ha Noi nhung cong trinh” (Hanoi’s construction works)” songs. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi Ao dai dance marks Vietnamese women’s day

More than 70,000 women from across the capital city of Hanoi dressed up in Ao dai (traditional long dress) and participated in a folk dance ensemble on October 20 to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Hanoi and the 94th founding anniversary of the Vietnam Women’s Union.

Runners compete in the Vietnam Jungle Marathon last year. This year, the event will welcome around 1,500 runners from almost 40 nations. (Photos courtesy of the organising board)

Vietnam Jungle Marathon welcomes runners from around the world

The Vietnam Jungle Marathon (VJM) returns for its seventh edition, welcoming around 1,500 runners from almost 40 nations to the stunning trails of Pu Luong Nature Reserve in Thanh Hoa province on October 19, featuring picturesque 10km to 70km routes.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO Ha Kim Ngoc speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam attends UNESCO Executive Board’s 220th session in France

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO Ha Kim Ngoc led a Vietnamese delegation to attend the 220th session of the UNESCO Executive Board on October 14-16 in Paris, which saw the participation of representatives from 58 member countries and over 100 observer countries.

Vietnamese men's football is set to enter the top eight in Asia and qualify for World Cup. (Photo: VNA)

Sports development strategy approved

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long has signed a decision approving the sports development strategy until 2030 with a vision to 2050, with an aim to promote the sector in a sustainable and professional direction.

An exhibition held during the annual international ArtTech Fusion event last year (Photo courtesy of UEH)

HCM City to host international ArtTech event

New technological applications in the ArtTech field will be showcased at the annual international ArtTech Fusion event that will take place in Ho Chi Minh City from October 22-24.

The reenactment of a royal procession in the late 19 century at the National Museum of Asian Art. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam Week in US helps promote Vietnamese cultural heritage

The Vietnam Week 2024 has been held in Washington D.C, the US, from October 4-12, aiming to honour the country’s rich cultural heritage, enrich Vietnamese-American people's identity and commend the achievements of the Vietnamese-American community.