From folk games… to become a tourist “specialty”

VHO - In many different forms, the folk game of Bai Choi is utilized and exploited effectively by localities in Quang Ngai province, creating a rich tourism product.

Travel to listen to Bai Choi

The Bài Chòi - Hat Ho Club of Go Co village, Pho Thanh ward, Duc Pho town was established in May 2020 with 21 members. Ms. Huynh Thi Thuong, a Bài Chòi artist in Go Co village, shared, “Since I was a child, I grew up with Bài Chòi melodies, so I know by heart many Bài Chòi lyrics left by my ancestors.” Ms. Thuong has also composed nearly 20 new songs to serve the people and tourists. Then, Ms. Thuong hummed: “Go to Go Co to play/ Listen to the birds chirping on the road/ Travelers in the middle of their homeland/ Feel the deep love and affection for their fellow countrymen.”

Tourists participate in playing Bai Choi at Go Co community tourism village

Along with Ms. Thuong, Ms. Bui Thi Van, also a club member, shared: “Despite the ups and downs of life, the love for Bài Chòi still burns in the hearts of the people of Go Co. Together, we build an art movement, perform, compose Bài Chòi... to serve the villagers and tourists.”

Ms. Truong Thu Huong, a tourist from Quang Ngai City happily said: “This is the first time I have participated in playing Bai Choi, it is very impressive and attractive. Especially the singing of the artists is very good, I will definitely return to Go Co village to participate again”.

Coming to Bau Ca Cai eco-tourism site in Binh Thuan commune, Binh Son district, visitors not only enjoy exploring the wild nature, but also enjoy the Bai Choi tune. It is interesting to sit on a small boat, visit the vast mangrove area, the charming river and listen to the artists sing Bai Choi.

Meritorious artist Nguyen Van Thu, Head of the Bai Choi Folk Song Club of Binh Thuan Commune, said that recently, Bai Choi teams have regularly performed for tourists, including many foreign visitors. “Community tourism in Bau Ca Cai is increasingly developing, and Bai Choi is considered a tourism product, we are very happy. Through this, we help preserve and promote the art of Bai Choi in contemporary life,” said artist Thu.

Tourists sitting on a small boat, visiting Bau Ca Cai, can listen to Bai Choi singing.

Vice Chairman of Binh Thuan Commune People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Hieu said that the community tourism model at Bau Ca Cai has been implemented since 2019, with more than 40 households participating. The commune has established a rowing team, a cooking team and a homestay team with 10 households participating, and a Bai Choi team to serve tourists. Since the beginning of the year, Bau Ca Cai has welcomed more than 7,000 visitors.

Promoting the value of the heritage art of Bai Choi

According to the Project on Preserving and Promoting the Art of Bai Choi in the province, the goal is to strive by 2025 to have 100% of the cultural and artistic heritage of Bai Choi collected, inventoried, digitized, and stored on modern technological means; to build and organize a pilot performance of Bai Choi art to serve the people and tourists at 1 tourist destination. To restore a pilot site of the folk game of calling out Bai Choi in Quang Ngai City. In addition, to continue to maintain the established Bai Choi center, 100% of districts, towns, and cities in the plains and islands will establish Bai Choi clubs under the district level...

By 2030, the model of organizing Bai Choi art performances to serve people and tourists at tourist destinations in the delta and island regions will be expanded, and the folk game of calling Bai Choi will be restored in districts, towns and cities. At the same time, 50% of communes, wards and towns in the delta and islands will strive to establish Bai Choi clubs at the commune level.

Introducing singing Bai Choi in schools in Nghia Hanh district

Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Tien Dung said that in order to preserve and promote the art of Bai Choi, the department has developed a Project to Preserve and Promote the Art of Bai Choi in the province and has been approved by the Provincial People's Committee.

"The project focuses on researching, collecting, and evaluating the overall value of the heritage of Bài Chòi for wide dissemination to the public; training music teachers and talented singers to become Bài Chòi singing core; forming and developing more Bài Chòi singing teams, groups, and Bài Chòi singing clubs in localities, linking this art with tourism development. Quang Ngai will organize the teaching of Bài Chòi in schools through integrating it into the music teaching program...", Mr. Dung emphasized.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/tu-tro-choi-dan-gian-tro-thanh-dac-san-du-lich-118083.html