Dao people in cinnamon region preserve cultural identity

Amidst the vast green cinnamon fields of Tan Hop, the rich cultural values ​​are being preserved by the people. Here, the Pao Dung singing echoes, the sacred ordination ceremony is passed down and the delicate embroidery on traditional costumes tells stories of a thousand years.

Under the cinnamon canopy, old people like Mr. Trieu Tai Quyen (Dai Son village) still diligently teach the Dao writing - the curved strokes like embroidery, like carving into wood the memories of the nation. They are a living repository of knowledge, but time does not wait, if there are no young people to continue, many rituals, melodies, and handicrafts are at risk of being lost.

Dao village lies under the green color of cinnamon.

That awareness led to a strategic shift in applying national target programs and projects to realize the teaching and transmission of customs, practices, and crafts... The commune government has coordinated with cultural and tourism experts and elders in the community to design classes that combine practice - from the coming-of-age ceremony, traditional wedding ceremony to teaching Pao Dung singing and traditional embroidery techniques.

Mr. Trieu Tai Quyen always carries the responsibility of a cultural keeper, volunteering to open classes to teach young people.

When we mentioned the preservation of the Dao writing, Mr. Trieu Tai Quyen volunteered to open a free Dao writing class for children. This spirit is truly admirable!

Mr. Truong Ngoc Tuan - Head of Culture - Society Department, Tan Hop Commune

In Dai Son village, there is also artisan Dang Nho Vuong who volunteers to open many classes to teach young people traditional songs and rituals.

A ritual in the coming of age ceremony of the Red Dao people in Dai Son village.

For the Dao ethnic group, the coming-of-age ceremony - the most important ceremony of the Dao people - is considered the backbone of the community's value system. Previously, the coming-of-age ceremony was only held in well-off families, or in villages that still maintained the custom. Now, through the training class, young people learn not only about the ceremony but also about the philosophical meaning, ethical system and customary law that are closely linked to community life.

Besides the ritual, Pao Dung singing - the resonant, vibrato sound typical of the Red Dao people - is emphasized as a living cultural stream. Songs about the forest and beliefs, when taught by artisans to the younger generation, become a bridge between the past and the future.

Artist Dang Nho Vuong not only teaches lyrics, he explains the language foundation, rhythm, and how to use breath to keep the voice from losing its inherent "soul".

Artist Dang Nho Vuong plays the flute with his nose.

Not only stopping at word of mouth, Tan Hop takes advantage of resources from programs and projects to restore traditional craft villages - especially embroidery, associated with the goal of tourism development; gradually turning cultural capital into spiritual and experiential tourism orientation.

Rituals such as: coming of age, wedding ceremonies, folk song and dance performances of the Dao people are developed into controlled tourism products, inviting visitors to come and see, listen and experience.

Recently, the commune has invited a group of experts to survey and plan the development of local cultural tourism, build cultural tourism villages, and identify typical destinations such as experiencing the culture of the Dao Quan Trang ethnic group in Tan Hop village; discovering the rituals and singing of Pao Dung in Dai Son; and enjoying Mong culture in Na Hau. All these activities have created a journey connecting the pieces of identity in the region.

Tan Hop women keep the traditional brocade embroidery profession.

According to Mr. Truong Ngoc Tuan - Head of the Culture - Society Department of Tan Hop commune, the merger of communes creates a larger regional scale, bringing advantages and more diverse identities, from which it is possible to build a linked cultural tour. These tours, if cleverly designed, will bring added value to the community - from homestay business, local tour guides, to traditional handicrafts and cuisine .

The images of Mr. Trieu Tai Quyen and artisan Dang Nho Vuong diligently writing and teaching Dao script to children; folk songs being sung every day under each roof; witnessing embroidery from clumsy to creating bold indigenous patterns... all are creating a dynamic Tan Hop with traditional cultural foundation as the driving force.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/nguoi-dao-vung-que-giu-gin-ban-sac-van-hoa-post882075.html