The Dao Dau Bang people in Kheo Thau village, Ho Thau commune (Tam Duong, Lai Chau) all call Mr. Phan Van Chang the person who preserves the writing in the Dao Dau Bang ethnic area, passing it on to future generations.
Despite his advanced age, Mr. Phan Van Chang is still very active and passionate about collecting and researching ancient books of the Dao people, not only of the Dao Dau Bang people but also of many other Dao groups. After many years of research and study, Mr. Chang has mastered most of the books of the Dao people in the region.
In his house, Mr. Chang has reserved a corner to store Dao Nom books, which he says are a precious heritage, the origin of the nation. Holding the books that have faded over time, he told us about the value of Dao Nom. Dao Nom was born thousands of years ago, built from Chinese characters used to transcribe and record the language of the nation. Dao people used Dao Nom in their studies, recording folk songs, prayers, medicine, parallel sentences, teaching children about etiquette, learning a trade, wills, documents...
Mr. Phan Van Chang's students are teenagers in the Dao community.
Since he was a child, Mr. Chang was taught Dao Nom script by his father, and then he continued to study with local shamans, so his knowledge of Dao Nom script was gradually accumulated. By the age of 17, he had a deep understanding of the moral ideology and teachings in ancient books and memorized traditional prayers, folk songs, and customs of the Dao people. By the age of 25, he became a shaman, trusted by the villagers to be in charge of the village's festivals and ceremonies.
Later, Mr. Chang was very concerned because many young generations of Dao people were no longer literate, and were no longer interested in learning Dao Nom script like before, and the risk of the Dao people's ancient book treasure being lost was very high. If the young generations grew up without knowing about the books and scripts of their people, they would not be able to know about their origins and the knowledge of their people. From then on, he opened a class to teach Dao Nom script to young generations, with the desire to preserve and promote the Dao people's script.
In the early days of opening the class, there were many difficulties, from desks and chairs to paper, pens and ink. Teachers and students always tried to overcome the initial difficulties. Up to now, Mr. Chang's classes have more students, are more spacious, and have more complete teaching and learning equipment. Up to now, he has opened 3 classes teaching Dao Nom script with more than 100 students, mainly from 10 to 40 years old. During the teaching process, students not only learn the script but also learn the traditional culture of the nation, human morality, prayers, songs and how to organize ethnic rituals such as: cap sac ceremony, Tet and full moon ceremonies...
Despite his advanced age, when he has free time, Mr. Phan Van Chang still sits and copies ancient Dao books to teach his children and grandchildren. For him, it is also a joy to devote his efforts to preserving and passing on the traditional cultural beauty of the Dao people.
Mr. Pham Van Thoi, Deputy Director of Lai Chau Provincial Museum, shared: “Artisan Phan Van Chang is a person with profound knowledge of Nom Dao. He has spent many years researching, researching, and copying hundreds of precious books to preserve for future generations. As a person who is very passionate about preserving and promoting Nom Dao, he has devoted his efforts to opening classes to teach Nom Dao to generations of young people in his own community, thanks to which the treasure of ancient books and Nom Dao in the Dao people's area of Ho Thau commune has been developed and maintained sustainably for future generations.”
Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/lai-chau-nguoi-gin-giu-con-chu-o-vung-nguoi-dao-xa-ho-thau-20241201103400656.htm
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