In recent times, courses on teaching how to perform ‘bai choi’ (singing while acting as playing cards) for teachers and pupils across Da Nang have been opened as an effective way to preserve and promote the value of this time-honoured traditional folk arts form, especially protecting it from gradually falling into oblivion in the context of rapid urbanisations.

A ‘bai choi’ class in progress at the Ngu Hanh Son-based Huynh Ba Chanh Junior High School

This folk music genre practised in Central Viet Nam has been added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,

During the ongoing summer, at such junior high schools in Ngu Hanh Son District as Huynh Ba Chanh, Nguyen Binh Khiem, Le Loi, and Tran Dai Nghia, twice a week, a large number pupils attend ‘bai choi’ classes taught by artistes from the municipal Theater Association. These practical classes will help the trainees grasp an insight into the rich history, origin of this unique form of traditional stage arts.

Ha Bui Tieu Nguyet, a Year 8 from the Hoa Hai Ward-located Huynh Ba Chanh Junior High School, said, she is very eager to attend ‘bai choi’ classes at her school during the summer break.

“The beat and the rhythm of ‘bai choi’ songs are extremely interesting, and the more I listen to them, the more I love the rich traditional arts of the Da Nang-Quang Nam land”, said the schoolgirl. 

According to Mr Nguyen Lam, the Head of the Ngu Hanh Son District Education and Training Office, free-of-charge ‘bai choi’ courses now open to junior high school pupils across in the district, lasting for 2 months, from June until the end of August, and seeing with the participation of more than 150 pupils. 

Mr Lai Tien Huong, the Head of Thanh Khe District Education and Training Office, said, during the past academic year, teachers from 20 pre-schools and primary schools accessed the district-launched ‘bai choi’ courses. Besides, the introduction of this type traditional Vietnamese stage performing arts has been added to  extracurricular classes.

With regard to its tasks in the coming time, more training courses will be provided to both teachers and pupils in a regular and methodical way so as to promote the development of ‘bai choi’ songs at school.

Ms Nguyen Thi Hoi An, the Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports said, in the current context of rapid urbanisations, the organisation of such ‘bai choi’ classes at local schools receives high applause from the general public, and they should be maintained and expanded into other districts.

In the near future, the departments of Culture and Sports, and Education and Training plan to organise ‘bai choi’ festivals for local pupils, hereby promoting the courses on this folk music genre at more schools across the city.

Ms An added that, in the coming time, her agency will give financial aids for locally-based‘ bai choi’ clubs to help them maintain their operation, and offer more classes to the public.