Heritage elevates heritage

The vast white salt fields welcomed a large number of tourists during the recent Vietnam Salt Festival - Bac Lieu in 2025. And for a long time, many traditional music (ĐCTT) melodies have also attracted the passionate enjoyment of visitors when stopping at the place known as one of the "cradles" of ĐCTT art in the South.

Therefore, it is possible to design a tourism tour combining the salt heritage and the ĐCTT heritage in Bac Lieu. The heritages will enhance each other with this interweaving.

When the lyrics "sweeten" the salt

Bac Lieu literature and art have many works that paint a wonderful portrait of the salt industry - "sweetening" the arduous profession! Among them are many vọng cổ compositions and ĐCTT tunes. " Sweet love of Kinh Tu salt grains " by author Vu Long Vi (who won the Gold Medal at the 18th "Singing and dating of 9 rivers" performance in Ben Tre province in 2022) is one of those compositions. " Salt making is a difficult job, from plowing the land to drying in the yard. Then the water is taken from the East Sea, waiting for the sun and wind to crystallize and condense the salty grains. The salt is raked, collected, piled up in pots, covered tightly, waiting for a day when merchant boats come to buy it ". Listening to the song to understand the hardships of the salt industry.

Quite a while ago, on a trip to Bac Lieu, seeing the image of salt crystals from the salty sea, hearing the story of a hard-working life where people are still loyal to salt, composer Ngo Hong Khanh wrote the song "Dry Sea": " I love you so much, my dear little sister, her small and dear figure, exposed to the rain and sun, her hands tanned by the sun, holding the pure white salt grains... Salted goby fish in Bac Lieu, marrying a man from the sea, I love Ganh Hao even more ". Deputy Prime Minister - Tran Hong Ha borrowed the lyrics about salt in this vọng cổ song when giving instructions to the salt industry: " Long Dien salt is still salty with a loyal meaning "...

“ Dong Hai Yeu Thuong ” is a composition in the Xuan Tinh style that author Mai Xuan Thuong has just released as a spiritual gift to the recent Salt Festival. Images of salt cultivation, tarpaulin spreading technology in the salt industry, amateurs singing on the charming river... are also included in the composition by the author.

ĐCTT in particular, along with many other art forms in general, have contributed to "giving wings" to Bac Lieu salt grains. From there, we try to imagine the image of the immense white salt fields, suddenly rising up ĐCTT melodies, including songs and verses about salt grains and the lives of salt workers. The arduous salt profession will become a poetic image with unique indigenous culture thanks to the songs and rhythms of ĐCTT!

A performance praising the salt making profession and salt grains in the art program "Going to Bac Lieu to listen to amateur music". Photo: HT

Bringing music to the salt fields

Salt tourism combined with DCTT will be a unique experience that gives visitors the opportunity to explore the natural beauty and unique culture of this land.

On the salt fields, visitors will witness the traditional salt production process of the local people, the white salt fields stretching out sparkling under the sunlight create a wonderful scene. And after checking in until your legs are tired, you can leisurely sit down in the space of ĐCTT with compositions related to salt, the loyalty of salt farmers who have been dedicated to this salt industry for hundreds of years - it will be a new and "unique" experience!

Bac Lieu can absolutely organize ĐCTT performances at salt tourism spots that are about to be "launched". Tourists can enjoy sweet melodies while admiring the vast white salt fields to have a complete experience of salt tourism and ĐCTT in Bac Lieu - two national and international heritages. The story of the salt farmers is artistically transformed in each amateur song along with the real experiences of tourists when participating in tourism activities at the salt village, which will certainly increase the spread and attract the attention of the community about a very... Bac Lieu tourism tour!

Currently, the trend of experiential tourism is growing. Tourists are increasingly interested in practical activities, wanting to explore and experience traditional crafts. When there is cooperation between the cultural sector, travel businesses and local communities, salt tourism combined with traditional crafts can completely create a new, attractive model and bring sustainable economic value to both types of heritage.

And it is not by chance that a teacher who is not a “professional” has created the unique shape of a salt-made zither in the recent Salt Festival. That is when the sense of pride in indigenous culture has permeated his thoughts and turned into actions! The salt heritage - the ĐCTT heritage have blended together, right in a small “project” with great significance. And stories that continue this blending in the future are very necessary!

CAM THUY

Source: https://www.baobaclieu.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/di-san-nang-tam-di-san-99770.html