On the evening of March 15, in Binh Lieu district, the folk performing art of Soong Co singing of the San Chi people in Quang Ninh province was announced as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Soong co is a type of folk song that has been practiced and preserved for many generations, becoming an indispensable spiritual food in the cultural life of the San Chi people.
On November 10, 2023, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 3421/QD-BVHTTDL recognizing the folk performing art of Soong Co singing of the San Chi people in Binh Lieu, Ba Che, Dam Ha, Tien Yen districts and Mong Cai city, Quang Ninh province as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Soong Co in San Chi language means "singing," "singing in opposition," "singing in love."
According to the ancients, the San Chi people sing soong co all year round, everywhere, every time, whenever there is an opportunity. The soong co singing festival, also known as the March festival of the San Chi people, was born 300 years ago.
In the 90s of the 20th century and before, palm waves were very popular, and no one knows since when, the 16th day of the 3rd lunar month every year has become a separate festival for the San Chi people.
Singing Soong Co is a way of singing in pairs, with one side of men and one side of women facing each other, and there can be many groups singing in pairs at the same time. Due to the nature of collective response, unity is higher, and the community spirit is clearly expressed. The custom of singing Soong Co has a strict rule of not singing with people of the same bloodline, clan, or relatives. The content of the songs is rich, diverse, and flexible, reflecting the life of labor and production, praising nature, the country, people, and love between couples.
Currently, there are 43 ethnic groups residing in Quang Ninh, the proportion of ethnic minorities accounts for more than 12% of the province's population. The San Chi ethnic group (along with the Cao Lan branch of the San Chay ethnic group) is one of the seven ethnic minorities in the province living in village communities, mostly residing in the districts of Binh Lieu, Tien Yen, Ba Che, Dam Ha, Hai Ha. Along with preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of their ethnic group through language, costumes, living and working habits, the San Chi people preserve and maintain the use of the song co in their daily life to this day.
In Huc Dong commune (Binh Lieu district), San Chi people account for about 82%, this is also the commune with the largest population of San Chi people in the district. Therefore, the Song Co singing festival of the San Chi people here has existed for a long time. Although there are no accompanying musical instruments when performing, the Song Co melody still attracts listeners with its rhythmic lyrics, poetic and long-lasting melodies in a rustic and sincere way, expressing thoughts, feelings and closely associated with the labor and production activities of the San Chi people.
Recently, the Soong Co melody of the San Chi people has been restored and maintained by localities, organized annually, systematically and on a large scale. Thereby, contributing to the preservation of a precious spiritual cultural heritage, expressing the fine traditions and unique identity of the San Chi people in Quang Ninh; at the same time, creating unique cultural products, serving visitors and tourists.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Hanh, Secretary of Binh Lieu District, said that the folk performing art of singing Soong Co of the San Chi people in Quang Ninh province becoming a National Intangible Cultural Heritage is the joy and pride of the San Chi people in particular and the people of the district's ethnic groups in general. The Soong Co melodies are one of the unique cultural features of the San Chi people.
In recent times, Binh Lieu district has always paid attention to preserving, promoting and developing the fine traditional cultural values of the ethnic communities in the area to implement the Party and State's policy on building and developing Vietnamese culture, meeting the requirements of sustainable development.
Also on the evening of March 15, Binh Lieu district received the Decision to become a new rural district in 2023. This is also the first mountainous and border district in the country to achieve new rural standards according to the criteria for the 2021-2025 period.
Also at the ceremony, Binh Lieu district organized the opening ceremony of the 2024 Binh Lieu District Ethnic Culture Festival. The festival will take place from March 15 to May 12 with cultural, artistic and sports activities imbued with the cultural identity of the ethnic groups of Binh Lieu district./.
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