Epic in art
The live show "U Va Legend" was held in U Va village, Noong Luong commune, Dien Bien district, including 3 chapters: Chapter I - Legend of Thai people and U Va (legend of gourd), ancient marks of Thai people; Chapter II - Legend of Pieu scarf (praising love and Khau cut legend); Chapter III - Rituals and culture - humane, long-standing beauty, pride of Thai people and the connection between present and past (between present-day people and origin, source). With unique artistic language, the live show recreates historical legends and unique folk dances, Thai ethnic folk culture performed by folk artists, mass actors in Noong Luong commune combined with professional dancers.
Not only that, in each chapter of the show, the unique cultural features of the Thai people are recreated, in the form of dramatizing traditional festivals and rituals of the Thai people, such as: Hair washing, Xen ban, Xen muong (praying for crops, praying for blessings), Han Khuong, Hoa Ban, Xang Khan... Xoe dance, bamboo dance, dance in the Xen pang ceremony. Folk games: throwing con, tug of war, stilts, tree climbing, singing and responding, splashing water in the wedding procession... Like in scene one, there is a legend about the Thai people born from a mother gourd, the god Quan Cong took out a knife around his neck and cut and carved a door on the right side of the gourd. The Thai people came out in droves, they walked and beat drums, gongs, cymbals, danced, sang... And in scene two, fairies descended to U Va to play, dance, sing, wash their hair and toss their hair to create a water rainbow. Next is the performance of the U Va villagers themselves as Thai girls in a dramatized hair-washing festival and the art of letting down and twirling hair in the Thai people's hair-washing festival. This is one of many scenes that left an impression on the audience.
The Han Khuong ceremony of the Thai people was also cleverly recreated in the live show to act as a link between the love of Lu and Ua - the two main characters of the show. On stage, the Han Khuong fire burned brightly, the lak xay tree shimmered with many colors. After the singing and responding with Thai folk songs, each pair of young men and women sat close together, expressing their thoughts and feelings, getting to know each other through singing, through the sound of the instrument, the sound of the flute, through their labor talents such as embroidery, weaving, spinning, weaving nets, weaving bamboo and rattan items in the family... Lu was accepted by Ua to sit on the Han Khuong floor, the two of them sat and talked while weaving together, Ua gave Lu a Pieu scarf embroidered with a blooming Ban flower, as a token of their love. Then the love of Lu and Ua went through many storms, causing the Khau Cat ladder to be cut down, leading to the birth of the Ban flower tree.
Directly participating in the practice and performance, Mr. Lo Van Cu was never absent from the stage. Therefore, he knew the artistic script and performance segments by heart. Mr. Lo Van Cu confided: “As for me, the overall performance has recreated very well the most typical cultural features of our Thai people. We seem to see and immerse ourselves in the stories told by our ancestors about the Heavenly Muong, about the Khau Cat rope... There are a few points that I personally find inappropriate, not quite right, such as: The way of calling Then above, Then below, or the wedding ceremony in the Thai wedding, the cutting of the Khau Cat rope... I have also given my comments to the Organizing Committee for adjustment. Overall, up to this point, the people in the village are very happy! Especially when this performance is also oriented to develop tourism for the village”.
Potential tourism products
Right during the peak of the 2024 Hoa Ban Festival, there were 4 nights of live performances of "U Va Legend" to serve delegates, locals and tourists. There was no night when the U Va village cultural house was not packed with audiences. On the evening of March 13, the show had to perform 2 shows to satisfy the excitement of so many people. That showed the "heat" of a unique performance program, unique to Dien Bien. After those successful performances, the show temporarily stopped performing so that it could be transferred to a professional agency to take over, from lighting, sound to props, costumes... And most importantly, there had to be a team of professional actors to replace the 20 actors of the event organization company participating in the performance in mid-March.
Since the beginning of April 2024, the Provincial Art Troupe has been assigned to manage the live show "The Legend of U Va" and is actively preparing to soon bring the show back to the stage. Ms. Dieu Thi Thuc, Head of the Provincial Art Troupe, said: When assigned to receive the live show, the troupe also determined how to continue to maintain, exploit, and promote the value of the show, continue to introduce the legend, history and unique cultural traditions of the Thai people associated with tourist destinations to serve the needs of tourists to learn and experience. Most importantly, how to turn the show into a unique tourism product, vividly depicting the culture and history of the land and people of Dien Bien to serve tourists to visit and experience. Therefore, in the past time, the troupe has been receiving and handing over all content related to the show; At the same time, continue to choreograph the roles of professional actors, practice, rehearse and perform from April 30 to May 3 in U Va village, Noong Luong commune, Dien Bien district, continuing to attract the attention of people and tourists in the coming time.
“Currently, the troupe is building a budget, funding for staging the program, costumes, props, training and performance according to current regulations; installing and serving sound and lighting for practice, rehearsal and performance. The dance team is choreographing, practicing and staging, adding professional actors to ensure progress. The troupe will practice from April 16 to 18, and practice from April 19 to 21. The rehearsal is expected to take place at 8:00 p.m. on April 29. The troupe is also requesting Anh Son Group Joint Stock Company to organize the handover of all contents related to the live show "The Legend of U Va" between the troupe and units in Dien Bien district before April 20, 2024 to prepare for the rehearsal of the program. At the same time, the People's Committee of Dien Bien district is requested to direct the professional unit and the People's Committee of Noong Luong commune to receive the stage setting and performance space in the area of the U Va village Cultural House. The most important thing is to propagate and mobilize the people of U Va village and Noong Luong commune to preserve and protect the stage setting and facilities serving the show, continue to practice to prepare conditions for reopening the shows in the near future" - Ms. Dieu Thi Thuc shared.
Many tourists have affirmed that Huyen Tich U Va is not only a live show but also a profound journey to explore the history and culture of the Thai people. Therefore, it is completely feasible for the show to continue to be performed, not regularly every day but focusing on a weekend evening. Not only that, the show is also associated with the natural landscape of U Va Hot Spring Resort and U Va Lotus Lake. If so, the show will become a highlight, diversifying and enriching the product, expanding the province's tourism map to Dien Bien district.
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