Maintaining the traditional culture of Ba Na people

Thứ tư - 03/07/2019 20:59 277 0

In the course ofexistence and development, the Ba Na people in Phu Yen have formed forthemselves a distinct cultural identity. In spite of many changes and developments, everyBa Na compatriot has a great love and a desire to preserve their traditional culture.

Dance of soang khel of the Ba Na ethnic group

Currently, Phu Yen has had about 3,000 Ba Na people scattering in Dong Xuan, Song Hinh and Son Hoadistricts. One of the most recognizable characteristics of Ba Na residence isthat they often settle in high mountains, where forest cover is still abundant,and vegetation is rich and diverse, which is also a favorable condition forthe development of upland economy and unique folk culture.

Like many other ethnic minorities in the Phu Yen mountains,in the cultural life, Ba Na people have many festivals of different communitysizes such as the ceremony of offering new rice, the ceremony into the crop, the ceremony of worshiping waterwharves, new house worshiping ceremony, old age worshiping ceremony... andespecially buffalo-stabbing festival, which Ba Na ethnic people often call as TamKo Po or Sa KoPo.

Ba Na people in Phu Yen province have a rich and diverse folk arttreasure, which are folk songs, long stories (Hamon) about heroic charactersBok Rok, Bok Set, Riah, Dam Noi, Dyong, Dy Ong Chu, Die Bya Rai...; dances such as shielddance (soang khet), sword dance (soang dao), drum dance (soang sa goi), gong dance...; musical instrumentsinclude gongs, t'rung, gongs, drums, k'ní, atal flutes, t'not trumpets... Orstatues decorated in tombs, communal houses are carved with wooden trees intheimage of monkey, gourd,wine-pot, deer, woman holding the baby...

Gongs is a symbol of sacredness, having an important place in thespiritual life of the Ba Na people, which is always present in community rituals as well as eachfamily.

Mr. So Ba Dung, Chairman of Phuoc Tan Commune People's Committee(Son Hoa district), let known: “Currently, Phuoc Tan commune have had nearly 500 Ba Na people, living in twovillages of Suoi Da and Da Ban. People here also preserve the way to organize awedding of Ba Na people according to customs and practices such as pander, wedding gifts, and ways of givingdowry... And inwedding ceremonies,it’sindispensablewith gongs and folkdances. The special thing is that their sons and daughters are free to learn and choosetheir partners but they must be approved by their parents”.

Brocade weaving is a traditional occupation that Ba Na peoplein Phu Yen stillmaintains. Each product made from the skillful hands of artisans in the villageis very delicate, not only beautiful in form, but also expressing the rich and liberal soul.

Mr. Nguyen Thien Tinh, Head of the Department of Culture andInformation in Son Hoa district, let known: “The traditional culture of Ba Napeople in Phu Yen has both the imprint of Tay Nguyen residents and Truong Sonnuances, which is the result of the cultural exchange process of ethnicgroups. The physical and intangible forms of Ba Na people in Phu Yen provincehave been beingpreserved and promoted, especially through local festival activities.Therefore, in the context of cultural integration and interference, theauthorities at all levels need a better policy to preserve many traditionalcultural elements of Ba Na people in Phu Yen”.

Source: Phu YenNewspaper
Translated by TRINHTHUY

Từ khóa: Maintaining the traditional culture of Ba Na people