Hat Kieu - A unique intangible cultural heritage in Quang Binh

Unique features of the art of Hat Kieu

Authorized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr. Hoang Xuan Tan, Vice Chairman of Quang Binh Provincial People's Committee awarded the certificate of national intangible cultural heritage of Kieu singing art in Quang Trach district, Tuyen Hoa district, Ba Don town.

Following the flow of history, the people of Quang Binh have fostered and built a tradition of resilience in the fight against foreign invaders; diligence, intelligence, and creativity in labor production; absorbed and preserved many unique cultural values ​​such as Ca Tru singing, Bai Choi singing, Khoan Le Thuy singing, Thuoc Ca Minh Hoa singing, Lullaby Canh Duong singing, etc. and one of the unique intangible cultural heritages, preserved through many generations, is the folk performing art of Kieu singing.

On the evening of March 21, the Department of Culture and Sports of Quang Binh province coordinated with localities to organize a ceremony to receive the Certificate of National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Kieu singing folk performing art in Quang Trach district, Tuyen Hoa, Ba Don town (Quang Binh) and perform Kieu singing folk art, Canh Duong Lullaby...

From the masterpiece Tale of Kieu by the great poet Nguyen Du, many art forms were formed, such as reciting Kieu, singing Kieu, fortune telling Kieu, reciting Kieu, ... in which, the art of singing Kieu shows the most uniqueness and creativity. This is a type of folk performance, including singing, acting and performing. In addition to the main characters in Tale of Kieu, Quang Binh people have created some more narrative characters such as the role of a soldier, a silk seller, a clown... along with that, space and time are used in a conventional way, to create changes in the "life activities" of the characters.

Mr. Hoang Xuan Tan hopes that localities will make efforts to preserve and promote the value of the national intangible cultural heritage of Kieu singing art, linking the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage with tourism development...

Hat Kieu appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. According to some artists at ancient Kieu clubs, when they grew up, they saw their fathers and grandfathers performing Kieu singing whenever the village had festivals or important occasions. The spaces related to Kieu singing were the village communal house, cultural houses, private homes, fields and the entire surrounding space. Currently, the space for Kieu singing has expanded to schools, clubs, mass cultural events or exchange programs and art performances.

It can be affirmed that Kieu singing has a strong historical value, closely associated with the formation and development of Vietnamese communities in Quang Binh homeland. The art of Kieu singing is created and preserved by humans, passed down from generation to generation. Over hundreds of years, Kieu singing has been a place to gather community consciousness with the beauty of spiritual culture, a place to express folk cultural and artistic activities, with a very high sense of community cohesion. The historical value of Kieu singing is expressed through performances, stories, songs, and melodies.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Quang Binh province, presented flowers to congratulate the Kieu singing clubs of the localities.

Mr. Mai Xuan Thanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Quang Binh province affirmed: Hat Kieu is a valuable cultural heritage, containing many scientific documents, helping to research and understand the process of spiritual and cultural development of the people of Ba Don town, Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Trach district in particular, and Quang Binh province in general. Hat Kieu expresses the people's aspirations for a prosperous and happy life; for love between couples; for trust between people. It is a place for harmony and consolidation of the community, creating closeness and solidarity in daily life.

From the masterpiece Tale of Kieu by the great poet Nguyen Du, many types of folk art were formed such as Kieu recitation, Kieu verse, Kieu fortune telling, Kieu recitation, but among them, the art of singing Kieu shows more uniqueness and creativity.

Through singing Kieu, we can feel and understand the beauty in the customs, habits, and behaviors of the people in life. Singing Kieu also contributes to preserving traditional cultural values, expressed through performances, melodies, and folk musical instruments.

Hat Kieu is an inseparable cultural activity in people's lives, an opportunity for people to express their passion for Kieu performances and forget the difficulties and hardships in daily life. They seem to be empowered and immersed in the artistic space of Kieu singing, to move towards humanistic values, thereby having more faith in the future, optimism in life, to preserve and promote the good traditional cultural values ​​of their homeland and country....

Through many ups and downs and changes of history, the art of singing Kieu still has a strong vitality in the community, becoming an important part of the cultural life of the people.

Need to preserve and promote heritage values

Hoang Xuan Tan, Vice Chairman of Quang Binh Provincial People's Committee shared: Quang Binh's Kieu singing has a history full of ups and downs. However, with the efforts of many generations of artisans in the localities and local authorities at all levels, preserving and maintaining the art of Kieu singing has been a long and difficult process. The cooperation of the whole society in preserving and developing the art of Kieu singing is essential to preserve the unique cultural features that will last forever.

Localities need to step up propaganda and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage of Kieu singing, in order to raise awareness among officials and people about the role and responsibility in protecting and promoting the values ​​of the heritage. Each person is both a participant in protecting and a beneficiary of the values ​​of traditional cultural heritage.

Mr. Hoang Xuan Tan , Vice Chairman of Quang Binh Provincial People's Committee

To promote the value of heritage, we need to strengthen state management, promote propaganda and promotion of intangible cultural heritage of Kieu singing, to raise awareness among officials and people about the role and responsibility in protecting and promoting the values ​​of heritage. Each citizen is both a participant in protecting and a beneficiary of the values ​​of traditional cultural heritage.

Canh Duong lullabies are also a unique form of folk art in the coastal village of Canh Duong, which is almost exclusively led by men. Lullabies in Canh Duong originate from the actual production work of fishermen, with lyrics imbued with coastal culture, using many local languages.

Along with that is the organization of training for the next generation at Kieu singing clubs, in which priority is given to training to improve the quality of young students through maintaining regular activities of the clubs. Kieu singing performances must be included in social activities, contributing to spreading the traditional cultural values ​​of the homeland and the country. Promoting the socialization of activities to preserve and promote the value of intangible cultural heritages, linking the preservation and promotion of cultural heritages with tourism development... Mr. Hoang Xuan Tan wishes.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/hat-kieu-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-dac-sac-o-quang-binh-20240322020014481.htm