The first festival of Chau Van singing opened in Hanoi on September 25,aiming to give participants an insight into the nation’s specialtraditional art form.

Chau Van, which was created during theTran Dynasty (1225-1400) and assumably originated from the northernprovince of Nam Dinh, is mostly performed at temples and pagodas.

The highly rhythmic and trance-oriented form of singing oftenaccompanies “hau dong” (mediumship) during the rituals to honour MotherGoddesses and connect to other gods.

The music and poetryperformed 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 uplands and highlands throughout the country.
The main musical instrument used in the genre is Dan Nguyet or moon-shaped lute.

The first phase of the event will run until September 30, while thesecond one will draw the participation of 10 art troupes to perform inthe capital from October 4-5.

A number of seminars will be heldduring the festival to discuss ways to preserve and uphold the valuesof Chau Van singing in modern society.

The municipal Departmentof Culture, Sports and Tourism and relevant agencies are workingtogether on a dossier seeking UNESCO’s recognition of the traditionalsinging genre as an Intangible Culture Heritage of Humanity.-VNA