At the ceremony held in Tuy Hoa city, Phu Yen province on May 20 to receive a certificate from UNESCO recognising Bai Choi singing as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (Photo: VNA)Phu Yen (VNA) – A ceremony was heldin Tuy Hoa city, the south central province of Phu Yen, on May 20 to receive acertificate from UNESCO recognising Bai Choi singing, a popular folklore styleof singing in central Vietnam, as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The ceremony featured a parade with theUNESCO certificate held up high and performances of Bai Choi singing,attracting tens of thousands of locals and visitors.
Earlier, the recognition of Bai Choisinging was made during the 12th session of the UNESCO Inter-governmentalCommittee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Jeju, theRepublic of Korea (RoK), on December 7, 2017.
The folk singing genre is popular in thecentral provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, QuangNgai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa, and Da Nang city.
Bai choi is often seen at local springfestivals and resembles a game, using playing cards and village huts.
The stage for Bai choi performancesencompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of thecottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. Adeck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst theplayers, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck ontobamboo poles and erected outside the cottages.
The game singer delivers a flag to eachcottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the centralhouse. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins.
The Bai choi songs are about festivals,daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments.
The game and songs were developed byMandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops.
According to the Inter-governmentalCommittee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Bai Choi isan important cultural activity in Vietnamese villages and communes, meeting thedemand for entertainment and arts of the community.
Bai Choi songs are moral lessons,demonstrating patriotism, connectivity in the community and living experienceof people.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourismrecognised Bai Choi as national intangible cultural heritage during 2014-2016.
Apart from Bai Choi, the UNESCORepresentative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity includesother 11 Vietnamese heritage – the traditional practice of “Tho Mau Tam Phu”(Worship of Mother Goddesses), tug-of-war game, which is also played in Cambodia,the RoK and the Philippines, Nghe Tinh province’s Vi-Giam folk singing, Don catai tu (amateur singing in southern Vietnam), Hung King worship ritual, Xoansinging of Phu Tho province, Giong festival and Soc temples in Hanoi, Ca Tru(ceremonial singing), Bac Ninh province’s Quan ho (love duet singing), thespace of Gong culture in the Central Highlands and Hue's royal court music.-VNA
The ceremony featured a parade with theUNESCO certificate held up high and performances of Bai Choi singing,attracting tens of thousands of locals and visitors.
Earlier, the recognition of Bai Choisinging was made during the 12th session of the UNESCO Inter-governmentalCommittee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Jeju, theRepublic of Korea (RoK), on December 7, 2017.
The folk singing genre is popular in thecentral provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, QuangNgai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa, and Da Nang city.
Bai choi is often seen at local springfestivals and resembles a game, using playing cards and village huts.
The stage for Bai choi performancesencompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of thecottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. Adeck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst theplayers, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck ontobamboo poles and erected outside the cottages.
The game singer delivers a flag to eachcottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the centralhouse. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins.
The Bai choi songs are about festivals,daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments.
The game and songs were developed byMandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops.
According to the Inter-governmentalCommittee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Bai Choi isan important cultural activity in Vietnamese villages and communes, meeting thedemand for entertainment and arts of the community.
Bai Choi songs are moral lessons,demonstrating patriotism, connectivity in the community and living experienceof people.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourismrecognised Bai Choi as national intangible cultural heritage during 2014-2016.
Apart from Bai Choi, the UNESCORepresentative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity includesother 11 Vietnamese heritage – the traditional practice of “Tho Mau Tam Phu”(Worship of Mother Goddesses), tug-of-war game, which is also played in Cambodia,the RoK and the Philippines, Nghe Tinh province’s Vi-Giam folk singing, Don catai tu (amateur singing in southern Vietnam), Hung King worship ritual, Xoansinging of Phu Tho province, Giong festival and Soc temples in Hanoi, Ca Tru(ceremonial singing), Bac Ninh province’s Quan ho (love duet singing), thespace of Gong culture in the Central Highlands and Hue's royal court music.-VNA
VNA
