Then singing is a unique intangible cultural heritage of the Tay ethnic people in Binh Lieu District, Quang Ninh Province. This art form is performed in the religious rituals of the Tay people and is a testament to the ethnic group’s vitality and cultural identity.
A Then folk singing performance at a festival in Binh Lieu District.
Then singing is a type of folk performance that combines singing, dancing and costumes. Then singing performances are believed to not only cure diseases and dispel bad luck but also to pray for good health, bumper crops and prosperity.
Then singing can be performed as a solo or duo act. The performance is often accompanied by a two-stringed guitar created by the artists themselves.
Then singing of the Tay ethnic people in Binh Lieu District is delivered in two forms, artistic and ceremonial Then performances.
In recent years, Binh Lieu District has assigned the local Centre for Communication and Culture to open Then singing teaching classes in a bid to preserve and promote the value of the heritage.
Currently, Then singing clubs have been established across communes and villages in Binh Lieu District. Each club attracts between 15 to 30 members, who have the opportunity to learn about Then singing and participate in art exchanges and competitions.
These clubs have made significant contributions to developing cultural activities in the locality while safeguarding and upholding the traditional value of Then singing.
Artist To Dinh Hieu, Deputy Director of Binh Lieu District Centre for Communication and Culture, said that in recent years, Then singing has been performed on the stage of many folk music festivals across the country.
These festivals provide an opportunity to promote Then singing to a wider audience while helping to advertise the land, people and culture of Quang Ninh in general and Binh Lieu District in particular, to domestic and international friends.
According to the Secretary of the Binh Lieu District Party Committee Nguyen Thi Tuyet Hanh, the preservation and promotion of Then singing in Binh Lieu District requires comprehensive solutions and the full participation of the authorities and people.
She stressed that Tay people’s Then singing in Binh Lieu District plays an important role in the development of cultural life, political stability, and economic development of the locality, but also contributes to honouring the cultural values of the Vietnamese ethnic groups.
Quang Tho - Translated by NDO