New books on Lang Son traditional culture

– 2021 is the year to launch many quality publications on traditional culture of ethnic groups in the province. Not only units, collectives but also individuals have started to participate in that publishing activity.

Most of the content of the books is directed to the types of heritage with typical characteristics of the province. In 6 publications on Lang Son traditional culture that have been released to readers in 2021, the largest number is books about “then” – a widely popular heritage in the province. Following the activities of propagating and disseminating the value of “then” over the past years, in the first quarter of 2021, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has completed the printing and release of the book “Tang Put mua dam” (The way of Then back to the nest) edited by Nguyen Van Bach – lecturer at Viet Bac College of Culture and Arts, and also a then singer, with the participation of officials from the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. This is a research and translation book on the Then-ranking ritual recorded by Then artist Nong Thi Cuc, born in 1933, living in zone 3, That Khe town, Trang Dinh district, which has been handed down through many generations. According to the group of authors, she is the last descendant of the Then Khach line, Quoc Khanh commune, Trang Dinh district. The 302 pages of the book introduce 20 chapters and paragraphs of the then-ranking, along with the characteristics, values, and plans to preserve the Then heritage, which have made “Tang Pot Mua Dam”, become a valuable document about the ancient Then of Lang Son.

 Publications on Lang Son traditional culture have been released to readers in 2021

Sharing the same topic on Then heritage, in November 2021, the Provincial Cultural Heritage Preservation Association published the book “The keeper of Then of Xu Lang” by Nong Thi Phuong, written about People’s artisan Mo Thi Kit, born in 1922, lived in Pac Sao (To Hieu commune, Binh Gia district) – who had more than 80 years attached to the then Van line of the Tay people in Lang Son. As the son of an artist, who used to hold the position of Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Binh Gia district, over the past 17 years, the author has painstakingly recorded his mother’s then songs to collect and compile into a book with thousand pages thick. The work is a collaborative work between the artisan’s family and the Provincial Cultural Heritage Association according to the form of socialization. Thereby, the book helps readers to understand deeply about the artist’s biography, characteristics and process of some typical then rituals such as: then-ranking ceremony, then release bad luck, celebrate birthday, then redeem soul and all the lyrics in both Tay and Vietnamese languages.

Also a legacy of then, but a group of young authors directed their research on concepts related to then. The “Tay Nung Then Dictionary” by Hoang Viet Binh (officer of the Provincial Center for Culture and Arts) and Ly Viet Truong (Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Science, born in Xuat Le, Cao Loc district) compiled, edited, printed and published with personal funding. 280 pages thick with more than 1,000 entries on then-related concepts, the book is considered a useful reference tool for those wishing to research and learn in detail about this type of heritage.

Not only then, a number of other folk songs are also introduced through Lang Son traditional culture books, such as Vi singing. This is a unique folk song in the Bac Son region, originating in the midland and northern plains. Following in the footsteps of people migrating to the new land of Bac Son, through a long history, vi singing has gradually “Tayized” to become a type of lyrical folk song with a smooth blend of culture between Tay and Kinh traditions. “Vi singing of the Tay people in Bac Son” by author group Hoang Tuan Cu and Do Tri Tu released by Lang Son Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in the first quarter of 2021, introduces the unique and distinctive features of this folk song. Through the content, the authors create favorable conditions for the public to access to vi singing in various aspects: characteristics, values, melodies, lyrics, etc. The focus is on the lyrics of popular tunes in daily life of the Tay people in the Bac Son region: wine Vi, love Vi, season praying Vi, betel invitation Vi, story Vi…

For many years, the Lang Son Literature and Art Association has been a place that regularly prints and publishes folklore research works of its members. In 2021, a number of research works on traditional culture by members of the Research Association – Critical Theory continued to be released to readers. “Trinh tuong house – The unique architecture of the Nung people in Khuyen Hin village – Lang Son” by Nguyen Dang An (Loc Binh district) is a specialized study on one of the traditional folk architecture types of the province. Not only introducing outstanding features, the author also recognizes the type of “Trinh tuong” house of Lang Son’s Nung people in the border area in close relationship with cultural space , historical, ethnic issues,… Different from other introductory books on cultural heritage, the book “Community support in life cycle rituals of Nung Phan Slinh people in Lang Son” by author Ly Viet Truong (Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Science) finds a humane beauty in the daily life of the Nung people. It is the help and support of relatives and neighbors in rituals such as setting up an altar for the Mother God, birthday, retirement, marriage, funeral, etc. Thereby helping readers better understand the customs, living habits, the beauty in the quality and morality of Xu Lang people.

It is known that as part of the publication plan of 2021, a number of books on the traditional culture of Xu Lang have been completed and are being completed and are about to be released to readers. Among them are “Quang Lang Literature of Tay people in Lang Son”, “Hoang Phi, couplet sentences from Xu Lang” (Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism); “Sweet nightingale” (Lang Son Literature and Art Association), “Lang Son City Cultural Heritage” (Cultural Heritage Association)…

The above books are compiled by a team of staff with deep expertise, deep understanding of the nation’s traditional culture, and dedication to the cause of preserving the local cultural heritage. With rich in documentation, methodically and meticulously compiled, these books not only meet the needs of research and understanding, effectively serve the conservation and promotion of heritage values, but also contribute to spreading the word, making Lang Son’s traditional cultural heritage shine more and more.