A performance of "bai choi" singing (Photo: VNA) Quang Tri (VNA) – The People’s Committee of central Quang Tri province has adopted aplan to preserve and promote the intangible cultural heritage of “bai choi”activities from 2018-2023.
Accordingly,Quang Tri will spend about 1.8 billion VND (77,500 USD) on a set of measures topreserve and promote the traditional art form, including organising classes foryoung people on the practice of “bai choi”; supporting artisans, clubs, andcommunities performing “bai choi”; and promoting “bai choi” as a traditionalart for cultural and tourism development.
Since 1990, “baichoi” festivals have been recreated across villages in Quang Tri, for examplein Tung Luat and Co My villages in Vinh Giang, Vinh Linh, as well as in Ngo XaTay village in Trieu Trung, Trieu Phong. The practice has mostly been passeddown orally through the generations. However, most “bai choi” artisans are nowquite old, putting the art at risk of sliding into oblivion.
In December last year, the art of “bai choi” was awarded UNESCO status in the 12th session ofthe Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible CulturalHeritage held in Jeju Island in the Republic of Korea.
The art originated almost 400 years ago, when Dao Duy Tu, anoutstanding mandarin under the reign of the Nguyen Lords (1558-1777) who laterformed the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) in Hue, created the game to entertain thecommunity during their post-harvest time.
“Baichoi”,which literally means a deck of cards (bai) and bamboo huts(choi), is half a game and half theatreperformance. Nine bamboo huts on stilts areerected on a spacious land plot, in two rows, each made up of four huts for theplayers. The bigger hut is in the middle, with a wooden stand for thecontroller of the game.
One to three players sharea hut while the audience surrounds the rectangular playing plot. At thebeginning of each game, each hut receives three cards. The controller singsfolk songs that include the names of 27 cards, giving clues to the players asto what their cards might be. The aim is for the players to guess their cards.
The players must find thename of the card being mentioned in the verses in the song, and then find outthe coinciding cards in their hands. The winner is the first hut to have threecards that coincide with the names given by the controller.
The controller’s singing, dancing, and othergestures are accompanied by music played on traditional instruments and cheers fromthe audience. ”Bai choi” stories include lessons on morality andcompassion, as well as love for the village and the nation.
The art reflects the spiritof human solidarity. All the villagers, both audience members and players, aredrawn into the joyful ambiance for the purpose of sharing happiness andsolidarity.
“Baichoi” is Vietnam’s tenth cultural practice to receive thetitle from UNESCO. The art was awarded intangible heritage status thanks to a creative recreation within a villagecommunity. –VNA
