When the gong sounds, it is also the time when the Muong people dance excitedly, then hum the ancient songs, congratulating each other for a new year with buffaloes, cows full of stables, corn full of cows, rice full of fields, healthy people, The village is warm and peaceful.
In the days of “New Year’s Eve – Spring is coming”, suddenly remembered the words of a friend who once mentioned the sound of gongs of the Muong people in Hanoi capital by the majestic Vien Nam mountain range… So back to the semi-region. In Thach That (Hanoi), I went to the Muong village in Dong Dau village, Tien Xuan commune to discover what’s special regarding the gong sound in this land.
Treasures of the Muong in Hanoi
Artist Bui Thi Bich Thin is still diligently preserving the “soul” of the Muong culture. Photo: Kim Duyen
No longer the noise of the city crowded with people and cars, this place is surrounded by fields surrounded by green hills on all sides. In the middle of a peaceful and poetic space… the sound of gongs and gongs is low, sometimes heroic – sometimes deep and seductive as if inviting people from afar to come. Stopping in the middle of the hill, next to the level 4 house at the end of the village – where the elite artist Bui Thi Bich Thin is releasing “soul” into the sound of gongs, I was still amazed.
It’s hard to imagine at an “old rare” age, but artist Bui Thi Bich Thin is still very sharp and resilient, she said: “A few days ago I was busy working in the fields to sow seeds, now I have free time to play a few games. the sound of gongs to call spring…”.
According to artisans, gongs are the cultural “treasure” of Muong land, a symbol of the soul of the Muong ethnic group. In particular, the gongs of the Muong Thach That people have their own unique features. The gongs of the Muong people in the capital Hanoi have a handle. When playing, each person carries one to beat. A set of gongs of the Muong in Thach That is usually 12 pieces, representing 12 months of the year. Each gong plays a different role in the sound set: Bung, pin, deck, and requires each player to play smoothly.
The young generation is always the generation that Ms. Thin cares regarding, because to her these are the people who will continue to develop the gong culture of the Muong. Photo: Kim Duyen
“Gongs participate in all life activities of the Muong Thach That people, associated with each person’s life cycle from birth to return to the motherland. Muong people consider gong as a language for communication. with heaven, earth, gods, ancestors, between people and people, pray for good health and prosperity. Especially, for the Muong, the gong on festivals or traditional New Year’s Day is the gong of good luck. instead of wishing the owner a new year of buffalo, cows full of barns, corn full of cows, rice full of fields, healthy people, happy and peaceful villages” – Artisan Bui Thi Bich Thin shared.
Keep the sound of gongs for eternity
In the countless stories shared, I noticed that Artisan Bich Thin is always worried regarding preserving and promoting the tradition of Muong gongs in the Capital. She said: The sound of gongs seemed to soak into her blood, the more attached she became, the more fascinated she became with the music of her people. “My family was poor, so when I was 8 years old, I had to work as a hired worker to earn a living. In the whole village of Dong Dau, there was only one rich family who owned an ancient gong set. To see the precious gongs and hear the sound of the gongs. The gong sounded every day, I asked to go to that house to take care of the children. Then every note just kept seeping into my soul from time to time, “- Artist Bich Thin recalls. In 1974, she passed the stage directing class – the first student course of the School of Professional Reasoning under the Ministry of Culture (the predecessor of the Cultural University today). After graduating from school, she worked in many places, from the Department of Culture of Ha Son Binh province, the Department of Culture of Luong Son district (Hoa Binh province), then joined the Culture Department of Tien Xuan commune, Thach That district, Hanoi.
“There was a time when the gong culture of Muong village was lost, it seemed that it would be completely lost. In 2008, when entering Luong Son district to Hanoi, the Muong ethnic people in Yen Binh and Yen Trung communes, Tien Xuan seems to have “forgotten” this unique cultural feature. Many people don’t even know how to play gongs. The art of gongs of the Muong has been lost a lot,” said artist Bich Thin.
Facing the situation that many people have sold gongs, worried regarding the risk of losing the gong art of their nation, she sought out elderly people who hold a lot of knowledge regarding gong culture to ask questions, teach them and teach them. established the club of gongs and folk singing and dancing in Tien Xuan commune. Right following that, Thach That District People’s Committee invested 6 sets of gongs for three communes Yen Binh, Yen Trung and Tien Xuan to serve the conservation, preservation and promotion of the national cultural identity.
With the cooperation of everyone, in October 2014, Tien Xuan Commune’s Gong and Folk Singing Club was officially launched in the joy of the whole commune and some friends. No one else, artist Bui Thi Bich Thin is the class teacher because she is always worried regarding how to devote all her capital of gongs to pass on to the next generations. Even, in 2015, as soon as she was awarded the title of Distinguished Artist, with a reward of 10 million VND, Ms. Thin borrowed more money to buy a set of gongs to make her own to serve the teaching of the people. , while at that time she was still living in a dilapidated, dilapidated level 4 house.
“My biggest wish is to preserve the national identity and pass it on to the next generations. I don’t expect anything luxurious, just hope that the State as well as Hanoi City have more policies to encourage them. encourage young people to preserve traditional art, support the teaching and practice of heritage so that they can propagate, promote and introduce the gong heritage of the Muong people in particular and the intangible cultural heritages of Thua Hanoi capital in general” – Artisan Bui Thi Bich Thin shared.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc – Vice Chairman of Thach That District People’s Committee said that Muong ethnic culture has a long and rich tradition with unique tangible and intangible identity values, including gongs. , creating a lasting vitality, handed down, fostered and developed over many generations, deeply ingrained in the life of the Muong ethnic people. In order to preserve and preserve the good cultural values and identities of the Muong ethnic group, the People’s Committee of Thach That district has developed and implemented the project “Preservation, restoration and promotion of traditional cultural identity values”. tradition of the Muong ethnic group, Thach That district, period 2016 – 2020″. After 5 years of completing the project, 100% of villages in 3 communes have a Muong gong team and are trained and trained annually, proficiently using gongs in cultural, artistic and community activities…” .
“I believe that, following the project’s results, the Muong ethnic people in Thach That district will have more motivation to continue to preserve and promote their cultural identity, so that the Muong gong sound will forever resonate in the heart of the capital. “- Ms. Ngoc confirmed.
