Preserving the beauty of traditional culture

Nghia Lo Ward is currently the main residence of the Khmu ethnic group in the whole province. Of which, Nam Toc residential group has 146 households, 100% of which are Khmu. Although life has changed a lot, the people here still respect and preserve intact the cultural values ​​and good customs of their ethnic group.

In the traditional stilt house, the image of artisan Vi Van Sang diligently working with old bamboo tubes has become familiar to the Nam Toc people. Mr. Sang is not only the preserver but also the craftsman of traditional musical instruments of the Khmu people. Among them, the Dao is the most popular musical instrument, made from bamboo tubes, used to keep the rhythm for the steps, combined with hand and body movements, creating a traditional dance with its own identity. Sharing about the importance of this musical instrument, artisan Vi Van Sang said: The Khmu people have 11 types of musical instruments, but this Dao is special. It must be crafted from bamboo 5 years old or more. The Dao has two uses: one is to play for fun during entertainment, the second is to help boys and girls find a mate.

Along with making musical instruments, Mr. Sang also actively participates in teaching the Khmu ethnic culture to the people in the residential group. From his passion and that of other artisans, the Khmu ethnic folk song and dance club in the Nam Toc residential group has been established and maintained for nearly 10 years with 12 members. Here, the artisans directly instruct and teach unique folk songs and dances such as: love songs, scarf dance, fish dance, bird chasing dance, waist shaking dance, spring dance... These performances are often performed during holidays, Tet and local political activities, expressing the Khmu people's love for life.

Ms. Vi Thi Luong, one of the long-time members of the Club proudly said: Among the folk songs of the Khmu ethnic group, the most familiar is Tom. Tom singing has a strong epic and lyrical character, and is sung in a call-and-response style, often used in festivals, weddings, and important events of the neighborhood, clan, and family. Or the Ca Luong dance - a unique dance, rich in body language, bustling and joyful, expressing optimism and good wishes for love and life.

Along with maintaining folk songs and dances, in daily life, the Khmu people in Nam Toc still preserve the stilt house style and many traditional customs and practices such as: embroidery, wearing traditional costumes, organizing annual traditional festivals to show community cohesion and wish for a good life. Typical of which is the Harvest Festival held at the beginning of the year, reflecting the Khmu people's belief and gratitude to their ancestors, nature, heaven and earth and fields... and at the same time expressing the wish for a bountiful harvest and a prosperous life. These beautiful features have become unique cultural highlights, contributing to the unique identity of the people here. Artisan Vi Van Sang said: We are currently maintaining festivals such as: Harvest prayer, rain prayer, sowing rice, sowing seeds, welcoming the mother rice, welcoming spring with folk games. This is the identity of the Khmu people to remind them of their origins. If we lose property or money, we can still get it back, but if we lose our traditional cultural identity, we lose our nation.

By many ways of preserving traditional culture, the Khmu people in Nghia Lo ward in general and in Nam Toc residential group in particular have been promoting the value of their ethnic identity, creating a colorful cultural picture in the ethnic community of Lao Cai province.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/ven-nguyen-net-dep-van-hoa-truyen-thong-post883876.html