The series of reports Going to the Dao region (Lao Cai area only) explores the unique identities preserved by the Dao people through generations, from religious activities, the art of worship paintings, the world of shamans to specialized rituals that have now become unique cultural heritages, worthy of pride, preservation and promotion over time.
Shaman Chao To Quay in Seo Tong Sanh village, Tong Sanh commune, Bat Xat district, Lao Cai, slowly opened the refrigerator (not plugged in), filled with ancient books of the Dao people - National intangible cultural heritage - that he has kept for generations, then said: "There are still many, I lend them, I haven't taken them back yet".
Researcher Khuu Dinh (right) has his questions answered by shaman Chao To Quay during the 12-lamp initiation ceremony.
We were fortunate to accompany three researchers specializing in the Dao people from Hunan Normal University (China), including Professor Trieu Thu Phong, China's leading "Daoist" to learn about the dance and music of the Dao people in Lao Cai.
Professor Thu Phong shared the reason: "I have had the opportunity to conduct in-depth research on the Dao people in many countries around the world, and have also met and interacted with Dao Lao Cai shamans at an international conference on Dao songs and rituals held in Japan, but this is the first time I and two researchers, one on music and one on dance, have come to Vietnam, because the Dao people here possess many valuable documents (ancient paintings, ancient books), antithetical songs, and dances that have never been seen before during research in other Dao communities around the world."
Dao people and humility
The meal to welcome guests from afar was prepared by Ms. Chao Si May (Trieu Nhi Muoi), the wife of shaman Chao To Quay (Trieu Duc Quy), right in the family's hut in Seo Tong Sanh village. In the residential architecture of the Dao people, in addition to the main house - where the whole family lives, the Dao people often build an additional adjacent structure, called a hut, used as a food warehouse, to store utensils, and also as a place to receive guests. It is called a hut because it is built spaciously and firmly right on the front of the road connecting Noi Bai - Lao Cai highway to Sa Pa.
If you have ever approached the Dao community, you will surely remember the feeling of the first meeting, which is shyness, timidity, and always having a distance. Ms. Duong Thanh, an independent researcher on the Vietnamese Dao people, a member of the World Dao Ethnic Research Association, Kanagawa University, Japan, with more than 20 years of experience, explained: "The Dao people are like that, in the initial meeting they are very reserved, moderate, and often hide themselves, especially modest. I have had many opportunities to work and interact with high-level shamans who are respected and trusted by the Dao community, not only in the country, but also in China when there is a matter, they are invited to perform ceremonies, but when asked, they never admit that they are good, do not consider themselves in any position or rank, always praise others and when talking about themselves, they gently say that everything they do is taught by books, only based on books."
The book of the shaman Chao To Quay in the refrigerator
Dao researchers from China are fascinated by valuable documents of the Dao people in Lao Cai.
A Dao ethnic research group from China conducted field research in Bat Xat District, Lao Cai.
Ancient book warehouse
Talking about books, Mr. Quay left his unfinished meal, took the whole group to the refrigerator in the corner of the house, opened it and found it full of books. At first glance at that unique "warehouse", everyone laughed, but then understood that in the land of fog that appears and disappears day and night, penetrating into the house, the unplugged refrigerator is the optimal space for the Dao shaman to store "secrets" passed down through generations, from books on worshiping, books on choosing dates and times, books on being human, organizing funerals, books on singing duets, love songs, books on establishing tranquility...
In the life of the Dao people, the shaman is an important figure; and for the shaman, the book collection is especially important because as long as there are books, there is culture, identity, and the teachings of the ancestors are intact. The shaman manages the book collection, both to continue practicing reading and learning, and to further understand the teachings of the ancestors. And the shaman also uses that book collection to teach the descendants of the Dao people, so that when they grow up, they will know how to read and write, and when they are adults, they will know how to act according to the teachings of the ancients, and even more so, they will apply what the books have said to life, from funeral rituals, weddings, antiphonal singing, dance, music, building houses, plowing fields, lighting lamps, offering thanks..., all are fully recorded in the books.
In addition to Professor Thu Phong, the research team also included Ly Chinh Hang - an expert in Dao music research, and Khuu Dinh - an expert in Dao dance research. When the three asked, Mr. Quay answered, then took the right book, opened the right page, read or sang for the whole group to save the documents in audio and video recordings. The way the whole group worked was so drunk that they forgot to eat, diligently taking notes, photocopying documents in a joyful mood. After chatting further, we learned that these three researchers in China are among the very few who chose the narrow field of research on Dao music and dance. Female expert Khuu Dinh shared: "We got a lot of new information when we looked at Mr. Quay's books. This source of documents is very valuable, helping us to compare and systematize the documents of the Dao people to make them more complete."
Nom Dao script in Lao Cai has been a national intangible cultural heritage since 2015.
Researcher Duong Thanh, also a resident of Sa Pa, added: "The Dao people value books very much, and they rely on books for everything they do in life. The Dao branch in Sa Pa is also a large branch, for example, the Chao family of the global Dao people has the eldest brother in Sa Pa, and the Ly family has the second brother in Sa Pa. Therefore, all the customs, rituals, and offerings... of the Dao people here are still almost completely preserved."
The intimate meal of the Dao people in the mountainous region at the first meeting was like a lucky start for us, because from there, it opened up a very unique world in the cultural life, spirituality, and identity of the Dao people for us to get close to and explore. ( continued)
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/di-ve-mien-dao-di-san-tu-nhung-kho-sach-doc-dao-185240311173248104.htm
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