Preserving the gong rhythm

Tu Vu commune is known as the “capital” of the Muong ethnic group in Thanh Thuy district with a population of over 70%. To preserve and promote the cultural values of their ancestors that are gradually fading away in modern life, many generations of dedicated artisans have returned to the original lands of the Muong people to restore traditional art forms, including gongs, locally and teach them to the next generation.

In Muong culture, gongs are played mainly by women.

Gongs are musical instruments with important cultural values in the community life of the Muong ethnic group. Gongs participate in all activities of the Muong people’s life from birth until they return to their motherland. Therefore, the Muong people consider gongs as treasures in their homes and preserve them for many generations.

Artisan Dinh Van Chien (Zone 18, Tu Vu Commune) is 57 years old this year and has 17 years of experience in researching, restoring, and spreading the love of Muong culture, including gongs. In his memory from many years ago, Mr. Chien was carried on his mother’s back by his grandmother to participate in the village festival, listening to Vi singing, Rang singing, gongs... so from an early age, the soul of this young man was imbued with the rich colors of traditional culture of his ancestors. In 2007, Mr. Chien returned to the homeland of the Muong people, Hoa Binh, Ninh Binh, Lang Son... to collect gong melodies, Vi singing, Rang singing, Dum singing, Bo Menh (talking), lullabies, and Dam Duong...

Introducing visitors from afar to the gongs of the Muong people, artisan Dinh Van Chien enthusiastically said, "A set of gongs of the Muong people has 12 pieces, divided into 3 sets, including Tle gong, Bong gong, and Dam gong. The Muong people have 24 festivals using gongs, such as housewarming, wedding, and going to the fields festivals... Unlike the ethnic groups in the Central Highlands, where gong players are men, the Muong people are mainly women".

The charming smile of a woman in the festival melodies

A set of gongs has 12 pieces. The number 12 represents 12 months of the year with the convergence of the sounds and colors of the 4 seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Tlé gongs (poong, lap, chot) include gongs number 1 to number 4, which produce the highest pitch in the set. Bong gongs (Bong Ben) are gongs number 5 to number 8, which are medium in size and pitch. Dam gongs (Kham) are gongs number 9 to 12, which are the largest in size and have the lowest pitch.

In the cultural activities of the Muong people, such as singing Sac Bua, weddings, hunting, hauling wood, building houses, funerals, and new rice festivals, when encountering wild animals, the Muong village is always bustling with the sound of gongs urging. In spring, the Muong village often organizes gong troupes to visit families to wish them a happy new year, called Sac Bua. Each ward usually has 15 to 30 people carrying gongs and gifts such as rice, sticky rice, cakes, betel, and areca nuts... to bless each house. When starting the journey, the ward plays the song “Going on the Road,” and when arriving at a house, it plays the song "Blessing." At weddings, when welcoming the bride, the Tlé type is used to make the Dong gong; when participating in Rang Thuong (singing exchange between two families), the Dam type of gong is used with a gentle, high-pitched tone. The gongs help to set the rhythm, encouraging the singing voices when exchanging, creating a joyful atmosphere. During funerals, the family will play the gong three times in a row to signal to the people...

The shape of the gong of the Muong ethnic group

Because of the importance of gongs in Muong culture, in 2018, artisan Dinh Van Chien initiated a movement to restore the gong and gong performance and was widely supported by people in Tu Vu commune. Currently, 50 members of the Muong cultural heritage preservation club founded by Mr. Chien still meet regularly on weekend evenings; the youngest member of the club was born in 2010.

According to statistics, Tu Vu commune still preserves about a dozen sets of gongs, 5 stilt houses, and 40 traditional costumes. Most of them are purchased by people with their own money, showing that awareness of preserving traditional culture is gradually improving. In particular, the project to inventory, collect, preserve, and promote the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group in the period of 2020-2025 with a vision to 2030 with a budget of over 8.6 billion VND built by Tu Vu commune has supported the people on the journey of preserving their ancestral culture in modern life.

Up to now, a number of projects and works have taken shape, such as the Muong ethnic cultural tradition exhibition house in the commune center, the expansion of clubs and art troupes performing Muong ethnic culture, the purchase of 13 more sets of gongs, and the opening of training classes to teach Muong culture...

Comrade Khuat Dinh Quan, cultural officer of Tu Vu commune, said, "Through the implementation of the project, we have mobilized resources from the whole society to participate in preserving, conserving, and promoting the cultural heritage values of the Muong ethnic group in the area. From there, we have created a strong change in awareness and protection consciousness, multiplying it into a widespread, regular, and continuous movement in the cultural and spiritual life of the people, especially the young generation".

Despite many ups and downs and changes, the traditional cultural heritage of the Muong people, including gong melodies, will live forever in the minds of the people.

Thuy Trang