A game leader sings to entertain bai choi players in Thanh Thuy Chanh Village in the outskirts of Hue (Photo VNA)Thua Thien-Hue (VNS/VNA) - Thua Thien-Hue province isfostering the revival of regular bai choi performances in villages that were once familiar with theart form in an attempt to keep it alive.
Half game half theatre performance, bai choi was recognised as a world culturalheritage item earlier this year by UNESCO and is a common legacy in the centralprovinces ranging from Quang Binh, Thua Thien-Hue to Khanh Hoa.
According to local authorities, practice of theart form in this province is quite different from others, so conservation of Thua Thien-Hue’s bai choi is necessary to ensure the diversity ofthe art is not lost.
Under a recent proposal made the provincialPeople’s Committee, authorities will give funds to revive bai choi clubs in villages where it used to beperformed regularly during the holidays.
The number of performances has dwindled over thelast two decades as a result of changes created by the modern lifestyle. OnlyThanh Thuy Chanh, the village that has the Thanh Toan roofed bridge, has keptthe traditional bai choi performanceevery Tet (Lunar New Yearfestival).
At the same time, local authorities will fund aprogramme to teach bai choi singing inschools.
The Department of Culture and Sports has triedto make digital documents of local bai choi songs, create a list of top artists and integrate theperformances at the biennial Hue Festival, the biennial festival for craftvillages and at public playgrounds during Tet.
The department is also in charge of creatingclasses for veteran artists to train younger performers.
Bai choi literally means a game of a deck of cards(bai) by sitting in bamboo huts (choi). Nine bamboo huts on stilts are erectedon a spacious plot of land in two rows, each made up of four huts for theplayers. The biggest hut is in the middle, with a wooden stand for the leaderof the game.
The leader sings songs that include the name ofthe cards or illustrated the figures on the cards. A hut that has three cardsthat coincide with the songs win the game.
Experts said bai choi in Hue is a different type ofentertainment compared to those of theatres in Binh Dinh, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa.Game leaders in Hue are said to be more creative as they have various lyrics onthe sample music.-VNS/VNA
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