Sweetly singing to Liet Tuyet

The art of Dô singing is closely associated with the worship of Tản Viên Sơn Thánh and is often performed in temple spaces or under the roof of village communal houses. The lyrics of Dô songs express the people's reverence for the leading deity among the four immortals of Vietnam, reflecting their understanding of nature and their dreams of a prosperous and happy life, and abundant harvests. Dô singing is a ritualistic folk performance created, practiced, and preserved by the community of Liệp Tuyết commune, Quốc Oai district, Hanoi city. There are three styles of Dô singing: worship singing (sung inside the temple), blessing singing, and dance singing (sung outdoors). Dô singing has no music, only clappers and fans as props.

People's Artist Nguyen Thi Lan is teaching the fan dance movements.

Once forgotten, the Dô folk songs of Liệp Tuyết commune (Quốc Oai district) are now experiencing a strong revival. Infused with the love of the homeland and sweet in every melody, Dô singing has been a part of this land since ancient times. Let's explore the revival of Liệp Tuyết Dô singing through the photo series "Sweet Dô Singing in Liệp Tuyết" by author Hoàng Thị Hoan. This photo series was submitted to the "Happy Vietnam" photo and video contest organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications .

The folk singing club performed in the communal house.

In the middle of the Khánh Xuân village communal house (Liệp Tuyết commune), even though it's not yet the peak of summer, members of all ages in the Liệp Tuyết commune Dô singing club are quite active.

The Dô singing club is practicing singing and dancing Dô folk songs.

Regularly, on weekends, young people from Liep Tuyet commune gather at Khanh Xuan village communal house to immerse themselves in the melodies of Do singing under the guidance of the distinguished artist Nguyen Thi Lan, head of the Liep Tuyet commune's Do singing club. In the ancient setting of the communal house, the Do melodies seem to flourish, becoming as intimate and close as the very breath of life for the people here…

People's Artist Nguyen Thi Lan is teaching hand dance moves.

According to artisan Nguyen Thi Lan, the Do singing festival in Liep Tuyet had many interruptions and was only restored in 1990. For a long time, few people in the area knew about the traditional Do singing style, but with the dedication of a native daughter, a love for cultural heritage, and the support of the local government, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan gradually restored the Do singing style. To date, the Liep Tuyet Do Singing Club has 40 core members who teach Do singing to 700 people of all ages, including a large number of students aged 11 to 18. The club meets regularly throughout the year, but is most vibrant in the summer when students in the commune are on summer break. Those who preserve the Do singing style in the locality are all farmers who, out of love for their ancient folk songs, spare no effort in preserving and teaching them... Thanks to this, Do singing truly becomes a connecting thread, enriching the spiritual life of the people. Not only is it a source of joy for the older generation of artisans, but Dô singing also helps young people stay away from social vices and move towards healthy and beneficial lifestyles. Teaching Dô singing to students in the commune has become one of the meaningful summer activities, attracting many young people to participate. The government and people always encourage each other to maintain, preserve, and develop Dô singing melodies as a precious intangible cultural heritage of the Đoài region. In 2024, the "Happy Vietnam" photo and video contest will continue to be organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications in coordination with the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists on the website.   https://happy.vietnam.vn is open to all Vietnamese citizens and foreigners aged 15 and above. The competition aims to honor individuals and groups with positive informational products that make practical contributions to promoting a beautiful image of Vietnam to the world. Through this, it helps people at home, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends access authentic images of Vietnam, its people, its achievements in ensuring human rights, and working towards a happy Vietnam. Each competition category (photos and videos) has the following prizes and prize values: – 1 Gold Medal: 70,000,000 VND – 2 Silver Medals: 20,000,000 VND – 3 Bronze Medals: 10,000,000 VND – 10 Consolation Prizes: 5,000,000 VND – 1 Most Voted entry: 5,000,000 VND. Winning authors will be invited by the Organizing Committee to attend the Award Ceremony and Certificate Presentation, broadcast live on Vietnam Television.

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