Preserving the traditional culture of the Dao people

Along with efforts to develop the economy, the Dao people of Hai Ha district always focus on preserving their ethnic cultural identity, creating unique traditional cultural values ​​from language, writing to costumes and cultural, religious and spiritual lifestyles.

Preservers of traditional culture

Artisan Dieng Chong Senh teaches traditional costume embroidery to Dao women in Quang Son commune.

Artisan Dieng Chong Senh (born in 1952, village 3, Quang Son commune) has devoted her whole life to the culture of embroidery and hair-tying of the Dao people. Since childhood, she has had a passion for the art of embroidery and hair-tying of her people.

With her passion and love for traditional cultural values, and not allowing her people's cultural identity to be lost over time, she has made efforts to teach her children and grandchildren in the family as well as the younger generations in the commune about the art of embroidering traditional costumes and how to tie hair. She enthusiastically explains the meaning of each pattern so that the younger generation can love and appreciate the traditional cultural values ​​and identity of her people. With her efforts, determination, and thoughtful guidance, the younger generation of Quang Son commune understands and feels the meaning, and is more passionate about the cultural beauty of their people.

Artisan Dieng Chong Senh teaches students of Quang Son Boarding Secondary School traditional embroidery in the school's extracurricular class.

Quang Duc commune currently has more than 98% of the population being Thanh Y Dao people. After retiring, Mr. Phùn Hợp Sếnh (born in 1950, Na Lý village) devoted himself to preserving and teaching Nom Dao script to the younger generation and helping people in the village with worshiping activities.

Mr. Phùn Hợp Sếnh preserves and conserves Nom Dao script to teach the younger generation.

Mr. Senh shared: Shamans have a very special position in the cultural, religious and spiritual life of the Dao people. They are teachers and shamans who are good at Nom Dao script and have a deep understanding of the spiritual world of the Dao people. A mature Dao man must know how to worship, first of all to worship his ancestors. Even better, he must be a skilled shaman. To become a shaman in the Dao community, one must be able to read and write Nom Dao script fluently. In order for Nom Dao script not to be lost, I have worked hard to collect and translate it into books to teach everyone, especially the younger generations. Dao children of all ages come to school to learn how to write fluently, then continue to learn the words, prayers, rituals... recorded in books passed down by their ancestors. For the Dao people, books are treasures. Thanks to books, the Dao people preserve the words, customs, morality, and teachings of their ancestors to be proper people.

People come to Mr. Phùn Hợp Sếnh's house to learn worship rituals.

Mr. Senh has translated and printed books to teach hundreds of Dao people in the province and many other provinces and cities in the country. Hundreds of people come to his house to learn how to read and write, learn how to worship to preserve the traditional culture of the nation.

Speaking of traditional culture in the Thanh Y Dao community, we must mention the initiation ceremony - the most important ceremony in the life of a Dao male.

Offering to Mun waves at the Mun Wave Festival, Quang Duc commune, March 2024.

Born in 1956 in Ly Na village, Quang Duc commune, at the age of 18, Mr. Tang Phuc Soi "took the basket" to follow his teacher to study and practice the shaman profession. After a lifetime of studying, he became a skilled shaman, giving titles to hundreds of people.

Hai Ha district organizes a class to teach the Dao Thanh Y ethnic group's love duet singing.

Mr. Soi said: For a Dao Thanh Y man, no matter how old he is, if he has not gone through the coming-of-age ceremony, he is considered to have no name, no registration, and no recognition by the community and gods, and is not respected in his life. Only men who have gone through the coming-of-age ceremony are given a name, considered adults, allowed to participate in important village and hamlet affairs, qualified to burn incense on the altar on holidays and New Year's, worship ancestors, pray for luck and good harvest for neighbors, and when he dies, he is reunited with his ancestors. During the coming-of-age ceremony, the shaman uses Nom Dao language to perform rituals, including many teachings about traditions, customs, and practices, advising on human morality, how to behave towards goodness, avoiding bad things, evil... This is an indispensable ritual in the life of a Dao man.

Practicing the Dao people's ordination ceremony in Quang Son commune organized by the district's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Promoting traditional cultural values ​​among ethnic minorities

Mr. Bui Thanh Tuan, Head of the District Culture and Information Department, said: Hai Ha has 11 ethnic groups. To preserve and promote the traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic groups, including the Dao ethnic group, the district has organized many classes to teach traditional cultural features, such as embroidery, antiphonal singing, cap sac... and through community cultural activities during holidays and Tet; Ethnic Culture and Information Festival... In particular, the district always pays attention to educating students about cultural traditions, helping them raise their awareness of preserving, conserving and promoting their ethnic cultural identity.

Traditional hair consultation contest of the Thanh Y Dao people at the extracurricular program of Quang Duc Boarding Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities.

Hai Ha Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, Quang Duc Boarding Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities, Quang Son Boarding Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities... have developed specific educational plans associated with teaching traditional cultures of ethnic groups; organizing annual ethnic cultural festivals; extracurricular programs "Preserving the cultural identity of ethnic groups"; communicating in mother tongue in school activities. Schools maintain the wearing of ethnic costumes on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays every week and on holidays during the school year.

Teacher Tran Van Trong, Principal of Quang Duc Boarding Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities, said: The school has 295/301 students of the Dao Thanh Y ethnic group. Along with developing a special education plan, the school regularly organizes extracurricular activities "Preserving the cultural identity of the Dao ethnic group in Quang Duc commune" for students with the participation and guidance of folk artists, to educate and arouse the sense of responsibility of the young generation in preserving and promoting the cultural values ​​of their ethnic group.

Traditional costume of Dao Thanh Y girls on their wedding day.

Teacher Bui Manh Duy, Principal of Hai Ha Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, where 100% of the students are ethnic minorities, said: Every year, the school organizes the Ethnic Cultural Festival to honor the good cultural values ​​of the ethnic groups whose children are studying at the school, thereby preserving, conserving and promoting the good values ​​of the ethnic groups in the district. The festival takes place with special contents such as: Ethnic costume performance, culinary culture, spring market booth display, ethnic sports, folk games; practicing the ritual of coming of age, wedding ceremony of the Dao Thanh Y ethnic group... Thereby, honoring the ethnic cultural identity, encouraging and motivating students to raise awareness of preserving the beauty of traditional culture, constantly creating, enriching the culture of the Vietnamese ethnic group.

Hai Ha district summarizes training courses, teaching and preserving Dao ethnic culture.

Preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of the Dao ethnic group has contributed to promoting the movement of the whole people to build the cultural life of the district. Recently, the Dao Quang Ninh's initiation ceremony has been recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, which will be announced at the Song Mun Festival in Quang Duc commune (February 2 of the lunar calendar).

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/giu-gin-van-hoa-truyen-thong-cua-nguoi-dao-3344208.html