Don ca tai tu and hat boi create attraction for tourism in Vinh Long

Along with Don Ca Tai Tu, Hat Boi art has been developed by Vinh Long province into a unique tourism product. The combination of music, gestures, lyrics and river culture space creates an attraction for tourists and contributes to promoting the local image. This is a potential direction, not only contributing to preserving traditional culture but also creating economic value, improving people's lives.

Along with Don Ca Tai Tu, Hat Boi art has been developed by Vinh Long province into a unique tourism product. The combination of music, gestures, lyrics and river culture space creates attraction for tourists and contributes to promoting the local image. This is a potential direction, not only contributing to preserving traditional culture but also creating economic value, improving people's lives.

Hat Boi performance for tourists at Van Thanh Temple, Vinh Long .

Go to Vinh Long to light torches and watch opera

After the merger, Vinh Long province has many advantages with a space connecting rivers, culture and sea, creating a typical tourist belt of the West. The province is gradually restructuring tourism products and services, shifting from "pure sightseeing" tourism to experiencing and exploring indigenous culture.

Since the Resolution No. 01-NQ/TU of Vinh Long Provincial Party Committee on tourism development in the period of 2015-2020 and vision to 2030 was issued, it has created a solid foundation for restoring the potential of intangible cultural heritage values associated with tourism development. Preserving and introducing hát bội into tourism products not only preserves traditional culture but also serves as a highlight to attract domestic and foreign tourists when they come to Vinh Long.

During the golden age of the art of hát bội, Vĩnh Long province had many famous hát bội troupes: Tân Phước Lập, Đồng Thịnh, Bầu Lương troupe (of the family of People's Artist Thành Tôn), Bầu Ngày... There were many families with 3-4 generations following each other in the profession of hát bội, such as the families of artists Ba Biếc, Bầu Răng, Vũ Linh Tâm...

Through many ups and downs, the art of hát bội has been lost due to lack of audiences and performers. Currently, Vĩnh Long only has the Đồng Thịnh classical opera troupe. In 2007, the Đồng Thịnh opera troupe was selected to tour the US to attend the Smithsonian Festival in Washington DC, with the theme “Mekong – The River Connecting Cultures”.

Meritorious artist Vu Linh Tam shared: “There are 5 generations of family heirs preserving the art of hát bội. Đồng Thinh troupe performs hát bội for tourists with each program excerpt lasting about 20 minutes. Hát bội is a difficult profession as it is a highly conventional synthetic art with stylized movements, diction, and melodious singing. I am very happy that in the past time, the troupe has trained and passed on the profession of hát bội to more than 30 young actors.”

Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Trinh - Mekong Travel Company, said that the company organized the program "Lighting coconut leaf torches to the village communal house to watch opera" with many activities such as lighting torches, lighting kerosene lamps, worshiping the communal house God, listening to explanations about the communal house and opera art.

This is not only an art performance, but also an opportunity to interact with the artists, experience, learn some dance moves or horse dance, sword dance and take souvenir photos with them. Guests participating in the program can directly feel the atmosphere of the traditional village festival amidst the shimmering torchlight, the sound of festival drums echoing under the ancient communal house roof and the community connection of the indigenous people, creating unforgettable memories of the cultural heritage of the South.

Tourism effectively promotes amateur music

Lighting torches to watch traditional opera at the village communal house is a tourist product built in Vinh Long.

Since 2013, Southern amateur music has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Seizing this golden opportunity, many travel agencies and tourism companies have included Southern amateur music in their tours and routes.

Sharing about the application of Don Ca Tai Tu to develop community tourism in Vinh Long, MSc. Tran Ngoc Trinh - a PhD student at Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities said that in the context of community tourism aiming to exploit indigenous elements to attract tourists, bringing Don Ca Tai Tu into tourism products helps increase the uniqueness and attractiveness of the destination.

Don ca tai tu also contributes to enhancing the tourism brand value of Vinh Long in particular and the Mekong Delta region in general. When exploited properly, this art form can become a unique cultural tourism product, helping the locality compete effectively in the tourism market.

The model of “Lighting oil lamps to watch amateur music” is one of the bright spots to diversify tourism products and create a distinct impression. Some travel agencies have proactively built amateur music programs in the evening. This program brings a nostalgic space, helping visitors fully experience the beauty of amateur music in a traditional space.

After dinner, each visitor will carry an oil lamp and walk through the village streets to enjoy traditional music in a rustic and cozy atmosphere. Besides listening to the artists perform, visitors also have the opportunity to interact and learn more about this art form.

According to Master Tran Ngoc Trinh, it is necessary to build community tours combining traditional music and include them in the programs of travel companies for widespread promotion. Integrate traditional music and performances into river tours, helping tourists enjoy the art while traveling.

In addition, it is necessary to train tour guides with the skills to perform and explain about Don Ca Tai Tu to improve the quality of tourists' experiences. Cooperate with cultural centers and traditional theaters in the Mekong Delta to organize art exchanges, bring Don Ca Tai Tu into inter-provincial tourism programs, thereby enhancing the spread of this art form.

According to Mr. Cao Quoc Dung - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, one of the key tasks by the end of 2025 in the cultural field is to submit to the Provincial People's Committee for approval the Project on Management, Protection and Promotion of the Value of Hat Boi Art Heritage in Vinh Long Province for the period 2025-2030, with a vision to 2040 and to implement the Project on Preserving and Promoting Don Ca Tai Tu Phase II in 2025.

To continue to maintain growth momentum, Vinh Long tourism industry has determined to strengthen promotion activities, focusing on developing green tourism products, community tourism, digital transformation, associated with the message of "safety - friendliness - quality".

Tourism is an effective way to promote cultural values as well as actively contribute to the preservation of the nation's precious assets. The important thing is how to take advantage of and promote that advantage, create tourism product packages from heritage to introduce and promote cultural and artistic values to a large number of domestic and foreign tourists.

Article and photos: PHUONG THU

Source: https://baovinhlong.com.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/202508/don-ca-tai-tu-hat-boi-tao-suc-hut-cho-du-lich-vinh-long-25512e5/