As one of the ethnic minorities living in Nam Nhun district, the Mang ethnic group has a rich cultural life. Currently, in Nam Nhun district, there are 740 households with 3,416 people of the Mang ethnic group living in 5 communes, with 15 villages. The Mang people in Nam Nhun also have their own language, unique culture such as singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, flutes and small handicrafts such as blacksmithing, carpentry, weaving, knitting, etc.
In recent years, all levels, sectors and organizations have always paid attention to preserving the unique cultural features of ethnic groups, including the Mang ethnic group. Organizing classes to teach traditional folk performing arts of the Mang ethnic group in Nam Nhun district is an activity of great significance for preserving the good cultural values of the ethnic group in general and preserving the songs, dances and flutes of the Mang ethnic group in the locality.
Recorded in Trung Chai commune, Nam Nhun district (Lai Chau), the commune has 6 villages with 337 households, more than 1,770 people, the commune has 4 ethnic groups living together, mainly Mong and Mang ethnic groups, of which Mong ethnic group accounts for 58.2%, Mang ethnic group accounts for 39.7%. For the Mang ethnic group here, life depends heavily on nature, which has contributed to the formation of a system of agricultural rituals.
In 2023 and 2024, the Department of Culture and Information of Nam Nhun district coordinated with the Party Committee and authorities of Nam Pi and Trung Chai communes to open classes to teach traditional folk performing arts of the Mang ethnic group in Pa Bon village of Nam Pi commune and Nam Sao 1 village of Trung Chai commune.
Each class has 30 students who are members of the art troupe of the villages where the Mang ethnic group lives. In the class, under the guidance of artisans and choreographers, the students who are Mang ethnic group in Nam Sao 1 village have learned how to use the Lo Lam musical instrument (the long flute of the Mang ethnic group), how to sing some basic Mang songs, and how to absorb the dance movements so that they are even, beautiful, and imbued with the identity of the Mang ethnic group.
This is one of the main activities within the Project "Preserving and Promoting the Good Traditional Cultural Values of Ethnic Minorities in Association with Tourism Development" under the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 Period.
Ms. Lung Thi Lan - a Mang ethnic person, a member of the art troupe of Nam Sao 1 village, Trung Chai commune, Nam Nhun district, Lai Chau province said: Participating in the class teaching traditional folk performing arts of the Mang ethnic group, we were instructed in the traditional dance movements of the ethnic group by the artisans and learned very good songs of the Mang ethnic group. Through the class, each student feels more love and pride in the cultural traditions of their ethnic group. After the class, we will regularly practice and perform special performances during the holidays and festivals of the ethnic group.
Similar to Lo Thanh Thuy (born in 2012), a Mang ethnic group in Nam Sao 1 village, Trung Chai commune, Nam Nhun district, confided: I feel that this is a very meaningful class, we are the young generation today who are exposed to a lot of modern culture, so if we do not participate in classes like this, our traditional culture will be at high risk of being lost. In addition, being exposed to traditional culture will help us gain more understanding and love for the cultural traditions of the Mang ethnic group. Although the class took place in a short time, I learned some basic songs and dance moves, I will introduce and spread them to my peers, so that the traditional culture of the Mang ethnic group will be passed down and promoted over time and years.
Meritorious artist of the Mang ethnic group Sin Van Dien (a person who is always concerned with preserving the traditional cultural values of the Mang ethnic group) was moved to say: The folk performing art form of the Mang ethnic group has no preserved documents but is only passed down orally from year to year, from person to person, from generation to generation, so comparison is difficult and is facing the risk of fading away and being lost; the people who hold and practice the heritage are getting older, the youth are not interested in traditional cultural and artistic capital and are attracted by other information, games, and modern technological devices; the collection and research work is still not systematic and not complete; the teaching work is still limited and has not become a movement, a self-awareness in the community. Therefore, opening classes to teach the folk performing arts of the Mang ethnic group is necessary, thereby creating opportunities and a favorable environment for the folk performing arts of the Mang ethnic group in particular to have vitality in the community, so that the community can preserve and promote the good cultural heritage values passed down by their ancestors.
Mr. Ha Van Rue - Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Nam Nhun district, Head of the Organizing Committee of the teaching classes, hopes that in the coming time, the artisans will continue to guide the members of the art troupe, especially the young generation, to continue to preserve and promote the fine traditional values of the ethnic groups in the district in general, and the Mang ethnic group in particular; the students will take advantage of their farming time to practice so that they can bring their ethnic cultural identity to participate in competitions and performances organized by the commune, district, and province to promote the traditional beauty of their ethnic group to friends and tourists inside and outside the province; propose that local Party committees and authorities continue to pay attention to the work of preserving and promoting the beauty of ethnic groups in Trung Chai commune in particular and Nam Nhun district in general.
Nam Nhun (Lai Chau): Teaching traditional folk performing arts to the Mang ethnic group
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