Nurturing love for the source of national culture

Many festival stories also follow each artisan back to the community with pride to continue nurturing love for the source of national culture.

Telling village stories with cultural colors

Nearly 800 artisans from 17 districts, towns and cities in the province had a meaningful reunion, bringing with them the cultural identities of 6 ethnic groups: Bahnar, Jrai, Kinh, Tay, Nung, Mong as a bridge for exchange and connection.

In the green space of Dai Doan Ket Square (Pleiku City), many village stories are recreated with vivid colors. It is not only a space for daily activities with the image of a father sitting knitting, carving statues, a mother sitting spinning, weaving cloth, but also opens up a deep spiritual space with rituals and beliefs passed down from generation to generation.

Pleiku City's art troupe plays traditional musical instruments. Photo: HN

Bahnar and Jrai are two ethnic groups with a rich festival system, reflecting the life of agricultural residents. Traditional rituals are recreated such as: victory celebration, communal house worship, new rice celebration, grave abandonment, water drop worship, longevity celebration, wedding ceremony, thanksgiving, water procession to the village... showing a rich and brilliant cultural color.

Coming from the hometown of Hero Nup, village elder Dinh Doen (To Tung commune, Kbang district) said: Stor villagers reenacted the warehouse closing ceremony with two main parts: performing the worship ceremony at the warehouse on the field and the community returning to the communal house to drink wine to celebrate.

“Although the ethnic groups coming to the festival have different costumes and languages, they all share the same pride in their ethnic culture and the spirit of solidarity. Everyone enthusiastically participates in the festival. Not only here, but also in the village, they continue to enthusiastically compete and preserve the culture so that next time they can perform better and better,” Mr. Doen happily shared.

The reunion between gong tuning artisans was also very touching. They are all masters in this field in the Bahnar and Jrai communities, but they are willing to listen and learn from each other. Young artisan Ksor Mang (Ayun Pa town) is known to be multi-talented, especially in the field of gong tuning. But before the talent of artisan Ksor Kok (Krong Pa district), he exclaimed: "That is my master".

Or young artisan Rah Lan Thang (Pleiku City) also admired the talent of Meritorious Artisan Alip (Dak Doa District) when two generations of artisans tuned the same set of gongs. Gongs carry the unique value of the Central Highlands culture.

Giving gong tuners a space at the ethnic cultural festival is not only to watch them perform their talents, but also to honor the contribution of this team in tuning the majestic gong ensembles.

Artists perform carving tomb statues. Photo: Hoang Ngoc

If cultural depth is an inner beauty that needs to be understood to be loved, then traditional costumes reveal all the beauty on the outside. That beauty is not only expressed in the costumes of nearly 800 artisans from 6 ethnic groups participating in the festival, but also condensed on the fashion show. This is also an activity that leaves many emotions for both performers and viewers.

Fashion and costumes also tell a thousand-year story about the process of conquering and living in harmony with nature of humans. Each costume is a unique heritage of each ethnic group. The diversity of colors in costumes is also the diversity in culture of the ethnic groups living in Gia Lai.

Join hands to preserve culture

Culture always has a strong inheritance and continuity. That was once again affirmed at the 4th Provincial Ethnic Culture Festival. Ms. Dinh Thi Ben (Dak Po district) participated in many activities such as singing Bahnar folk songs, walking on stilts, performing traditional costumes and re-enacting the new communal house worship ceremony with the community.

Ms. Ben proudly said: “The young generation of Bahnar born in the village, going to school and working through the communal house every day, so the community culture has “permeated” into them. I also received cultural values ​​from my family, village elders and learned in the community. Together with the artisans participating in the festival, I see that only by inheriting and making efforts to preserve culture in today’s changing life, can we preserve the unique cultural colors of the nation.”

Meeting of gong tuning artisans at the Festival. Photo: HN

For ethnic groups such as Tay, Nung, Mong, preserving cultural identity is also a great effort. Ms. Le Thi Hoa is a Tay ethnic person who has lived in Duc Co district for nearly 20 years. This is also the first time she has participated in an event that brings together so many ethnic groups in her second homeland.

She said: “Even though we have moved to Gia Lai, we are still conscious of preserving the cultural traditions of the Tay people, from costumes, then singing, tinh lute, and culinary preparation. If we do not preserve these unique features, our descendants will forget their roots. I hope this cultural exchange activity will be held regularly. This is also an opportunity for ethnic groups from the northern mountainous regions to move to Gia Lai to look back at the achievements of preserving their identity.”

The Duc Co district artisans brought the image of the National Gate (Le Thanh International Border Gate) and the 30th milestone to the Festival. Photo: HN

Master Nguyen Quang Tue - Head of the Department of Cultural Management (Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism) said: Modern life is changing very quickly, causing the spaces reserved for traditional rituals in villages to gradually disappear. Therefore, the festival's organizing committee wants to create a suitable environment and space for people to practice those traditional rituals and beliefs. However, according to Mr. Tue, recreating traditional rituals is not something that can be done just because one wants to.

“The valuable thing is that the majority of the festival participants are farmers, but at the same time they are also artisans, so they practice the rituals respectfully and skillfully. They do not “perform” but live with the rituals, because they have a deep, specific understanding of every detail and every process. That shows that, deep in the hearts and minds of our people, the memories and knowledge of the rituals are still preserved. The problem for us is how to awaken and create conditions for them to continue to maintain and spread those values,” said Mr. Tue.

Duc Co District is one of the three units with the most impressive activities at the Festival. Photo: Hoang Ngoc

This year’s Ethnic Culture Festival aims to preserve and promote the cultural values ​​imbued with the identities of the ethnic communities living in the province. The province currently has more than 40 ethnic groups living together and this year, nearly 800 artisans from 6 ethnic groups will participate.

Master Nguyen Quang Tue added: “This is the fourth time the province has organized this event. We hope that this activity will be maintained annually, with the largest participation of all ethnic groups. Through this, we will convey a strong message: More than 40 ethnic groups in the province are a great solidarity bloc. People gather here not only to perform but also to exchange, learn, and together promote the unique values ​​of each ethnic group, to create a common, diverse but unified identity for Gia Lai land”.

Kong Chro district's art troupe recreates a community living space. Photo: HN

Sound lingers

This year's provincial cultural festival is held at a time when there are many major events in the province and the country, especially the spirit of urgency in arranging and streamlining the organization of the political system. Mr. Tran Ngoc Nhung - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism - said: This is a difficult time and many worries for district-level units, including those working in cultural work. But above all, cultural workers have made efforts to accompany the artisans to bring the festival impressive and unique performances.

“Although the organization time is not long, let's work together to make that heritage treasure more sparkling, so that not only artisans and cultural workers but also the whole community can understand, love and together preserve and promote the cultural capital left by our ancestors,” Mr. Nhung emphasized.

Kong Chro district's artisans perform gongs at the festival. Photo: HN

Gia Lai province's ethnic cultural festival took place on April 12 and 13 with main activities such as: recreating community living space, performing gongs, folk songs, folk dances, traditional musical instruments; demonstration of gong tuning techniques, demonstration of ethnic costumes, artistic stilt walking, sack race and double pestle rice pounding competition and the highlight was the "Echo of the Great Forest" festival night. At the festival, the Organizing Committee awarded certificates to 3 units with the most impressive activities including: Dak Po, Duc Co and Pleiku City.

The festival not only attracts a large number of locals and tourists to enjoy and cheer, but the cultural beauty of ethnic groups also overcomes language barriers to touch the hearts of international friends.

Present during the two days of the festival, American photographer Jeff Perigois expressed his excitement: “I have traveled through Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia to take photos of the life and customs here. Your folk festival is so impressive. The gong music resonates and my feet want to dance with them. A festival rich in sound and color, very wonderful.”

For two young British people, Will Holland and Sophie Clifton, the festival brought them a vivid experience with the local culture. Will Holland said: “This is the second time I have experienced this festival in Pleiku City - where I am teaching English to children. My girlfriend has just arrived here so this is her first time experiencing it. Your festival is attractive because it is very colorful and different. This is also an opportunity for me to understand more about the culture of the country I am living in.”

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/nuoi-duong-tinh-yeu-mach-nguon-van-hoa-dan-toc-post318783.html