(VOVworld) Hanoians are treated a festival of Bai Choi (singing while playing cards) during the traditional Lunar New Year festival (Tet). The festival in Hanoi’s Kim Ma theater introduce to the general public of Bai Choi, a distinctive traditional feature of the central region.

A stage of Bai Choi performance
Martial art music of the Tay Son dynasty from late 18th to early 19th century kicks off the first Bai Choi festival in the capital city. The crowds enthusiastically cheer and applaud when a performance ends. They are engulfed in the beats of drums and wooden bell and melodies of two-stringed fiddle. The audience is introduced to a unique genre of folk music from the central region. Nguyen Ngoc Ly from Kim Ma street in Hanoi said: “My grandchild and I came to enjoy Bai Choi performance because we are told that the singing is great. This is the first time I watch the performance. It’s so delectable and the stage is distinctive. The songs praise patriotism and sacrifices of Tay Son soldiers”.

9 bamboo huts are arranged in U-shape in the theatre with 4 huts standing parallel and one in the middle, on which there’s a parallel sentence that goes:

“9 huts, please listen to commands from the umpire

At the hilarious festival, people seek good luck to the drum beats”

Bai Choi artists

The Bai Choi festival recreates all ancient procedures from opening, umpire’s running, and reward winning to closing. 14 amateur artists and musicians from Binh Dinh province make the performance excellent. Young and passionate artists join experienced veteran singers, who are able to improvise. Nguyen An Pha, Vice Director of Binh Dinh provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, told us: “We hope to serve the general public who want to explore Bai Choi art and researchers. Those who live far form Binh Dinh will also have the opportunity to enjoy this special spiritual food that we have brought to Hanoi”.

The game starts when the male umpire or Hieu wearing traditional costume and turban delivers players 3 bamboo cards with pictures of humans and animals correlative to Hieu’s singing commands. A player who sits in the hut beats the wooden bell to signal that his or her cards match Hieu’s commands. The first round ends with players sitting in 9 huts finish playing. The game’s duration depends on singing commands.

Professor Hoang Chuong, Director General of the Research Center for the Preservation and Development of National Culture, says the Bai Choi festival takes place in Kim Ma theater, a location where Tay Son soldiers died for the nation hundreds of years ago: “We chose this location to pay tribute to the insurgents, who helped disseminate the art of Bai Choi from the south central region to the north. It’s meaningful that today Hanoiains can enjoy this art which they rarely watched before”.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has planed to compile a scientific study of Bai Choi, which will be submitted to UNSECO for recognition as intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

To Tuan