Traveling to the mountainous region of Binh Lieu, captivated by the Tay people's then singing

The Tay people in the highland district of Binh Lieu, Quang Ninh possess an exceptionally rich cultural identity, notably then singing melodies, an art form of profound significance in their community's life.

Traveling to the mountainous region of Binh Lieu, captivated by the Tay people's then singing

The Tay people account for up to 55% of the district's total population. Visiting any Tay village or family in Binh Lieu, visitors can enjoy the highly distinctive melodies of then singing accompanied by the tinh lute. The performance of then singing often appears in the religious rituals of the Tay, Nung, and Thai peoples.

A then singing performance. Photo: Binh Lieu District.

Then singing is a form of using melodies to depict the journey of then practitioners carrying offerings up to the heavenly realm, representing humans to pray for good things in the earthly world. An indispensable musical instrument when performing then melodies is the tinh tau lute; then and the tinh tau are inseparable on stage like shadow and form.

Then singing performed for tourists. Photo: Binh Lieu District.

The rising and falling, rhythmic melodies along with the then lyrics describe each stage of the then army's journey: sometimes urgent and hasty, sometimes leisurely resting by the roadside, sometimes earnestly supplicating, sometimes bustling while crossing the sea...

Lau then, a traditional then ritual. Photo: Binh Lieu District.

Each chapter and section in the then chant (called “khong” and “khai”) is used by the performer (called ba then or ong then) to lead the audience into a novel world blended with the sound of the tinh tau lute.

Then singing is inseparable from the tinh tau lute. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.

A night of then singing serves as spiritual therapy for the sick, bringing faith, high spirits, love of life, and love for others to every person attending the then session. Therefore, the Tay people have a saying: “A night of sickness is long, a night of then is short,” showing that then singing makes people forget their sorrows and worries, and forget their illness and suffering...

Many young people in Binh Lieu are passionate about then singing. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.

Then melodies are closely tied to every Tay person from the time they are in the womb until they depart from this world, serving as an integral part of their spiritual life. Nowadays, new then songs have had lyrics set by artisans, introducing authentic and relatable aspects of life into each work, making them more easily embraced by the public.

Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.

Then singing in Binh Lieu, as in many other places, follows a 7-word poetic form, with each singing line carrying auspicious meaning and wishing for good luck in life. If Lang Son then singing is graceful and passionate, and Ha Giang then emphasizes every subtle nuance, then Binh Lieu then has its own distinctive features, differing in vocal range and melody because each region's pronunciation leads to a different singing style.

Then singing becomes a tourism product. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.

Then singing in Binh Lieu is often simple, whispering intimate sentiments to listeners, and not as rich in melody as in other localities. For the Tay people, then is poetry itself, a profound metaphorical expression. Then singing is indispensable when welcoming guests to the house or celebrating a new home. There are many themes in then, such as praising the homeland, romantic love, family affection, singing about Uncle Ho…

Singing then by the stream. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.

Many then works in Binh Lieu still retain vibrant vitality to this day, including works associated with the anti-American resistance war (Ngẩm nghỉ chang vằn tấc Mỷ – Reflections during the days of fighting the Americans, then play: Ăn cương téng nả – The mirror reflecting the face…), reflecting the building of socialism in the North (Cùn khảu – harvesting rice, Éo nọong – lullaby…), and later numerous works praising the homeland of Binh Lieu (Lằm tàng Phiêng Lèo – the road of Binh Lieu, Phiêng Lèo túi mấu – renewed Binh Lieu…).

Then singing space. Photo: Phuong Dai.

Then not only helps people express emotions of sadness, joy, anger, and hurt, but also plays a role in showing love for their homeland and country, becoming a highly effective means of communicating the Party's guidelines as it easily touches people's hearts.

Many then singing clubs for young people. Photo: Communist Party of Vietnam Online Newspaper.

Nowadays, then singing in Binh Lieu is a unique tourism product. Coming to Binh Lieu, visitors can learn about aspects related to then singing and the tinh lute, and enjoy performances presented by the Tay people of Binh Lieu.

Many ancient then melodies are being preserved in Binh Lieu. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.

From a performance art oriented toward religious beliefs, then melodies are being developed into a spiritual tourism strength. This demonstrates the importance and enduring vitality of then. Therefore, then singing has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity that the Tay people of Binh Lieu are preserving.