Chau van ritual festival 2014: Preserving and developing the art of a traditional ritual

(Cinet)- The Chau Van (spiritual singing) festival is held in the northern province of Bac Giang on April 19 by the Vietnam Centre for Research and Conservation of Culture and Belief.

Chau Van was created during the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400), and Nam Dinh province is considered its birthplace.

Chau Van singing is a traditional folk art of northern Vietnam which combines trance singing and dancing. Its music and poetry are combined with a variety of instruments, rhythms, pauses, and tempos.The highly rhythmic and trance-oriented form of singing is often performed during rituals to honour the Mother Goddesses and connect to other gods. It is performed mostly at temples and pagodas.

The music and poetry performed in the folk art are mingled with a variety of rhythms, pauses, tempos, stresses and pitches. The genre has also adopted folk songs from the highlands of the north, centre and south.

As one of 33 Vietnam’s recognized intangible cultural heritage examples, Chau Van is expected to help people understand more about the Goddesses and increase public awareness of the protection and preservation of cultural and artistic value of national heritage.

Northern Nam Dinh province is considered the birthplace of Chau Van, which has traditionally been performed at temples and pagodas as people believed it was a useful way to connect to the Mother Goddesses and other gods.

Preparations are underway to complete a dossier to be submitted to UNESCO to recognize Chau Van as Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Humanity next year.

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