The Cultural Space of Gong in the Central Highlands

The fame of Central Highlands gong culture has crossed national borders to become a property of all human beings.

Specific values of the cultural space of the Central Highlands gong which is a part of Vietnam's cultural heritage and quintessence has been recognised by the international community.

On 25th November 2005, the UNESCO decided to recognize “The cultural space of gong in the Central Highlands” of Vietnam as “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.

Caption

Throughout the Central Highlands of Viet Nam, Gong ensembles are parts of various ceremonies and closely linked to the communities’ daily life and the cycle of the seasons. The instruments, measuring 25 to 80 centimetres, are played by men as well as women.

The culture space of the Gongs of central Vietnam is about original musical forms, which are performed against the background of the linguistic and ethnic diversity of the region. Diversity is also found in the compositions and customs of the Gong ensembles, in their performance techniques, in the musical genres and in the ritual functions of the gongs.

In the realm of Vietnam’s musical instruments, the gongs are very well-known for their outstanding value and regarded as the privileged language bridging humanity and the supernatural world. The gongs are made from a mixture of bronze and silver, with some distinctive features. The peoples living in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam possess many sets of gongs, which would be performed differently. A set of gongs consists of two to twenty units.

Culture Value

The most outstanding value of gong culture showcases masterpieces of human creativity. The masters of gong culture are the ethnic people of the Central Highlands. Although they can not cast gongs themselves, they raise the value of a product into an excellent musical instrument with their sensitive ears and musical soul. In the hands of talented folk artistants, each gong plays the role of a musical note in an orchestra to perform different pieces of gong music.

As for ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands, gongs and gong culture present a means to affirm the community and its cultural identities. As time went by, gongs have become an attractive and appealing symbol of the culture of the Central Highlands. It is an activity associated with cultural and spiritual life, and beliefs of ethnic people when they are born, grown up and return to the soil.

Customs

The Central Highlands gong comes from long-standing historical and cultural traditions. In the past, community of people in the Central Highlands knew how to play the gong. Its sound is either deep or strong, moving and combining with the sounds of streams, wind and the hearts of people so that it can live with the heaven, the earth and people in the Central Highlands.

However, different ethnic minority groups arrange different orchestras. Listening to the sound of the gong, people in the Central Highland can know which ethnic group is playing.

Gong players in the majority of ethnic groups in the Central Highlands are male. Only in a minority of ethnic groups in the region, gong players are female.

Visual description of the picture 

It is a bright sunny day and a group of seven men are outside playing brown tambourines. Only five of the seven men are clearly visible. Their bodies describe a semi-circle facing the left of the picture. They all wear calm expressions. Each man holds the tambourine in his right hand, hitting it with a short thick piece of wood held in the left. The tambourines all have white characters written on them. All the men are wearing the same costume: a dark-blue long-sleeved shirt with multicoloured cuffs and a red square piece of material with golden buttons down the front. Some of the men wear caps; the first man from left to right wears a yellow cap, the second from right wears a blue cap. In the background we can see a forest with blue sky just visible through the dense foiliage of the trees. Smoke is spiralling upwards from the dirt floor. On the far left of the frame we can see the entrance to a hut.

The Central Highlands’ gongs, together with the epics, the treasure of folklore, folk sculpture and folk knowledge, constitute the unique cultural heritage that have attached to the life of the highlanders for over thousand years.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

The Park is considered a paradise for researchers and explorers of grottoes and caves and is the home to 140 families, 427 branches, and 751 species of precious plants

Phong Nha - Ke Bang is a national park in the center of Quang Binh province in north-central Vietnam. It protects one of the world's two largest karst regions with several hundred caves and grottoes. Its name derives from Phong Nha cave, the most beautiful one, with numerous fascinating rock formations, and Ke Bang forest. The plateau is probably one of the finest and most distinctive examples of a complex karst landform in Southeast Asia.

Location:

Geographically, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (PNKBNP) is located in central Vietnam, about 500km south of the capital, Hanoi, within the Quang Binh Province.

The western boundary of the Park partially forms Laos-Vietnamese border, which is only 42km from the sea. The Park is found within the geographical co-ordinates of 170 20'-170 48' N and 1050 46-1060 24' E in Bo Trach and Minh Hoa Districts.

Recognition by UNESCO in 2003

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was first nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. The dossier submited to UNESCO was for the recognition of Phong Nha nature reserve as a world natural heritage under the name “Phong Nha Nature Reserve”. The reason given for the nomination was that this nature reserve satisfied the criteria of biodiversity, unique beauty and geodiversity (criteria I and iv).

It was recognized as a world natural heritage site at the UNESCO's 27th general assembly session being held in Paris in June 30th – July 5th, 2003. At the session, delegates from over 160 member countries of UNESCO World Heritage Convention agreed to include Phong Nha-Ke Bang park and 30 others worldwide in the list of world heritage sites. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park meets with criteria viiii in accordance with UNESCO’s appraisal scale since it displays an impressive amount of evidence of earth’s history and is a site of importance for increasing human understanding of the geologic, geomorphic and geo-chronological history of the region.

Physical features:

Criterion (viii): Phong Nha is part of a larger dissected plateau, which also encompasses the Ke Bang and Hin Namno karsts. The limestone incontinuously demonstrates the complexity interbedding with shales and sandstones. This, together with the capping of schists and apparent granites has led to a particularly distinctive topography.

Looking into the caves, you may recognize discrete episodic sequences of events, leaving behind various levels of fossil passages, formerly buried and now uncovered palaeokarst (karst from previous, perhaps very ancient, periods of solution); evidence of major changes in the routes of underground rivers; changes in the solutional regime; deposition and later re-solution of giant speleothems and unusual features such as sub-aerial stromatolites. The location and form of the caves suggest that they might owe much of their size and morphology to some as yet undetermined implications of the schists and granites which overlay the limestone. On the surface, there is a striking series of landscapes, ranging from deeply dissected ranges and plateaux to an immense polje. There is evidence of at least one period of hydrothermal activity in the evolution of this ancient mature karst system. The plateau is probably one of the finest and most distinctive examples of a complex karst landform in SE Asia.

Cultural heritage:

The oldest evidence of human occupation of the area are Neolithic axe heads and similar artefacts found in some of the caves. There are some relics of Ham Nghi King, a final King of the Nguyen dynasty before the French colonial period, at the Maria Mountain in the north of the Park. Currently the Arem, Ma Coong and Ruc ethnic groups live in two villages in the core zone of Phong Nha Ke - Bang National Park. Until 1962 these indigenous people lived in the forest in houses made of bamboo and leaves or in the caves, living from forest products and hunting. They used simple tools and their clothes were made from the bark of a toxic forest tree (Antiaris toxicaria) and lianas.

Since 1992 the Government of Vietnam has set up two new settlements for these 475 people, who are the two smallest ethnic groups in Vietnam. These people are familiar with a number of economically valuable species, especially precious timber such as Mun and Hue city (Diospyros spp., Dalbergia rimosa), and oil-extraction from species such as Tau (Hopea hainanensis) and many medicinal plants. The Phong Nha Cave has long been a site of religious and touristic importance, with an old Cham Temple discovered in the cave and it was a site of worship in the ninth and tenth centuries. During the war with the USA the Phong Nha - Ke Bang forest and caves were a garrison and weapons store for the Vietnamese army.

Conservation value:

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is of high conservation value as one of the largest areas of intact forest habitat remaining in Vietnam. As part of a continuous forest block with the neighbouring Him Namno Biodiversity Conservation Area in Laos it forms one of the largest areas of forest on limestone karst in Indochina. The presence of tall lowland forest, which is regionally threatened as a habitat type, in the National Park increases the area's conservation value.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang, together with Ha Long Bay and Fanxipan of Vietnam, is listed as a candidate for 7 new world natural wonders vote. As of February 12, 2008 it ranked 10th in the voting list

In summary, Phong Nha displays an impressive amount of evidence of earth’s history. It is a site of very great importance for increasing our understanding of the geologic, geomorphic and geo-chronological history of the region.

The Royal Refined Music of Hue

  

On 7th, November 2003, the Royal Refined Vietnam has ever Music was proclaimed by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, the first title of this kind received

The UNESCO Council appraised Vietnamese royal music in the following terms: “Vietnamese royal music represents an elegant and refined music. It deals with the music performed in the imperial courts and on different anniversaries, religious festivals, and on such particular occasions. Of the different categories developed in Vietnam, only the royal music was national.”

The Royal Refined Music was first introduced in the 13th century, but only reached its peak under the Nguyen Dynasty. The Royal Refined Music had long enjoyed a preference as an official form of royal music. It was recognized as the symbol of a powerful and long-lasting monarchy and as an indispensable part of all ceremonies. Each year, the Royal Refined Music was played in nearly 100 different ceremonies.

Varied in its themes, the Royal Refined Music is considered a means of communication to express the respect to gods and kings.

Compared to other forms of art, the Royal Refined Music boasted high artistic value, first and foremost because the court had enough political power and finance to bring together talented composers and players from around the country. Given favourable conditions to practice and improve performance skills, they became professional artists in composing and performance.

After being recognized as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, the Royal Refined Music performances have been held in France and Belgium, etc. and was highly valued by the audience and art-culture researchers.

Ba Be National Park - A world natural heritage

In addition to the Huong Pagoda and Sa Pa ancient stone ground, Ba Be National Park in Ba Be District, Bac Kan Province has also been submitted to UNESCO for being recognized as a world natural heritage.

With unique geology and beautiful landscapes – its two greatest values, the Park is not only an object of scientific research but also an attractive site for discovery tours.

Unique geographical and geomorphic values

The boatman took us along the Nang River to Ba Be Lake. The karst terrain with limestone mountains on the two sides of the river reminded us of the mythological stories about the river and a plateau that experienced many changes to create Ba Be Lake, a blue gemstone with unique geomorphic and geological values amidst the forests in the north-eastern area.

According to Vietnamese scientists, Ba Be National Park lies in the arc-shaped Gam River and surrounds the Chay River . This area is a convergence of the fault systems in the north-eastern area.

The Park was split into sections and experienced block-generating movements, which lifted up the Ba Be limestone block to be separated from the surrounding non-karst terrains, changing the terrain and scenes and creating flat grounds and plateaus.

The geomorphic analysis shows that the limestone islets in Ba Be Lake, such as the An Ma and Ba Goa Islets might be broken parts of the nearby limestone mountains.

According to initial surveys, Ba Be Lake has 20 caves and grottos. Due to the structural and tectonic characters of the area, the caves and grottos developed only breadthwise. Collapses occurred regularly.

Most of the caves are simple and short and have few branches, but they are large and beautiful, typically the Dong Troi, Na Phong and Pac Chan. Each cave has two storeys or more, which are connected with one another via waterfalls, 1-3m high.

Hundreds of millions of years ago, a strong earthquake happened, making many caves collapse on an area of dozens of kilometres, from Puong Cave to Dau Dang Waterfall. The earthquake exposed an underground river and formed the Nang River branch with a 400m-high cliff. The bed of the river branch was filled and lifted up and became a natural dam, creating Ba Be Lake.

The lake has the name Ba Be because it is made up of three large pools including the Pe Lam, Pe Lu and Pe Leng which are connected to one another by the Nang River. Seen from a high mountain, Ba Be Lake lies amidst a range of lime mountains, so it looks small and surrounded by high abrupt cliffs.

It is about 9km long, 200 to 1,000 metres wide and 17 to 23m deep, with the deepest point being 29m. Doctor Nong The Dien, Director of Ba Be National Park said that through the exploration boring, the geologists discovered a 200m-thick layer of muddy soil, which was both pliant and solid, on the bottom of the lake. It was this layer that prevented the water going out, making the lake full of water all year round.

On sunny days the lake looks like a water-colour painting, fascinating every visitor. Its water is calm, blue and clear, reflecting the mountains, clouds and sky. The lake is usually dotted with Tay ethnic girls in black dress, rowing the tourist dug-outs, making a romantic scene. Ba Be Lake is really attractive due to its diverse geology and beautiful landscapes full of legendary characteristics.

Pham Duc Toan, head of the tourism committee said that with unique geography and geomorphology plus the specific colour of the water, Ba Be Lake attracts a large number of people who are interested in discovery tours, especially foreign visitors. Every year, about 25,000-30,000 tourists visit Ba Be National Park for tourism and convalescence purposes.

Attractive sites for discovery tours

From Buoc Lom Wharf we took a cruise for about one kilometre and reached Puong Cave , an attraction in terms of geomorphology and ecology. It is a limestone cave, 30m high, with stalactites of different shapes. Inside the cave, it is dim and the deeper the cave, the darker it is, but tourists are very excited because the arch of the cave is the habitat of tens of thousands of bats.

On the top of the cave still remain two flat platforms, one is 60m high and the other is 100-120m high. Scientists think that the Nang River had once run via the top of the cave.

Through millions of years the water of the river eroded the lime mountain, thus forming this magnificent cave. The two ends of the cave are open, making it ventilated. Outside the cave, there are blocks of marble and thick carpets of green moss.

A group of foreign tourists were very interested during the tour. Jaques (French) and Murat Yakin (Swiss) said that they had visited many countries and saw many caves but the caves in Ba Be National Park left great impression on them.

Leaving Puong Cave, we took a boat ride to Dau Dang Waterfall, a renowned landscape of Ba Be National Park. It falls from a height of 53 metres and runs among big limestone blocks overlapping each other.

In this area there are zones of breccia as a result of the faults. Foreign tourists were delighted in the beautiful landscape and they made videos and took photographs of it.

Dominique Rocheteau, a French tourist said that he knew Dau Dang Waterfall via a book but he could not imagine it was so beautiful and attractive. Perhaps, in the old days a very strong earthquake took place in this area.

Ao Tien (Fairy Pool) is the name of a small lake of three hectares lying on the top of a high mountain. Due to having special geological characteristics the lake never dries up. Its water is always blue and clear and the atmosphere is cool. Legend has it that fairies from Heaven used to come to this area for bathing and playing chess.

Visitors to Ba Be Lake area could not miss visiting Hua Ma Cave in Quang Khe Commune of Ba Be District, 6km southwest of Ba Be Lake, because it has great geological, cultural and tourist values. Hua Ma in the local language means head of the horse.

The Cave lies on a stone mountain, at a height of 300m above the ground, but visitors can go up by car for 150m, and then follow the steps to reach the cave. It is over 500m long, 50m high and 30-50m wide.

Inside the cave there are beautiful stalactites of different shapes, which look like Tang Zeng and his disciples going to seek Buddhist scriptures, lotus flowers, pen-shaped tower, etc. All these stalactites were naturally formed over millions of years.

With a long history of geographic development, unique geomorphic identities and beautiful landscapes, Ba Be National Park is really a wonder worthy of being a world natural heritage site.  

My Son Sanctuary- The convergence of different architectural styles

My Son has been selected by UNESCO as a World Heritage listed site at its 23rd meeting.

My Son holy land is located in a narrow valley in Duy Tan Commune, Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam Province. 70km southwest of Danang City, 20km away from the Tra Kieu Citadel, and 40km away from the Ancient Town of Hoi An. The site is a group of temple-towers of Cham people, an imperial city during the Champa kingdom, an example displaying the evolution and change in culture, a foremost evidence of Asian civilization which is now extinct. With its great value, in December 1999, the complex of My Son Cham Towers has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

My Son Sanctuary- The convergence of different architectural stylesBetween the 4th and 12th century, My Son site was an imperial city during the Cham kingdom. The construction of My Son was likely to have been started in the 4th century. During many centuries, the temple complex had more buildings and stupas constructed of varying sizes and became the main cultural vestige of the Champa civilization in Vietnam. Aside from religious celebrations, which allowed the dynastic royals to spiritually connect with the gods, My Son was also a cultural and religious centre and was the burial place of kings and religious leaders.

My Son has been selected by UNESCO as a world heritage listed site, at its 23rd meeting, under the criteria C (II) and criteria C (III):

Criterion (II): The My Son Sanctuary is an exceptional example of cultural interchange, with the introduction the Hindu architecture of the Indian sub-continent into South-East Asia.

Criterion (III):The Champa Kingdom was an important phenomenon in the political and cultural history of South-East Asia, vividly illustrated by the ruins of My Son.

My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious relics that comprises more than 70 architectural works. They include temples and towers that connect to each other with complicated red brick designs. The main component of the Cham architectural design is the tower, built to reflect the divinity of the king.

According to records on the stone stele, the prime foundation of the ancient My Son architectural complex was a wooden temple to worship the Siva Bhadresvera genie. In the late 16th century, a big fire destroyed the temple. Step by step, historical mysteries were unveiled by scientists.

History

Through stone stele and royal dynasties, My Son was proved to be the most important Holy Land of the Cham people from the late 4th to the 15th centuries. For many centuries, the Cham built Lip, a mutually linked architectural complex, with baked bricks and sandstone. The main temple worships the Linga-Yoni, who represents the capability of invention. Beside the main tower (Kalan) are several sub-towers worshipping Genies or deceased kings. Although time and the wars have destroyed some towers, the remaining sculptural and architectural remnants still reflect the style and history of the art of the Cham people. Their masterpieces mark a glorious time for the architecture and culture of the Cham, as well as of Southeast Asia.

Each period of history has its own identity, so that each temple worshipping a genie or a king of a different dynasty has its own architectural style full of different impression. All of the Cham towers were built on a quadrate foundations and each comprises three parts: a solid tower base, representing the world of human beings, the mysterious and sacred tower body, representing the world of spirits, and the tower top built in the shape of a man offering flowers and fruits or of trees, birds, animals, etc., representing things that are close to the spirits and human beings.

Architecture

According to many researchers of the ancient Cham towers, the architectural art of the Cham towers at My Son Sanctuary is the convergence of different styles, including the continuity of the ancient style in the 7th-8th centuries, the Hoa Lai style of the 8th-9th centuries, the Dong Duong style from the mid-9th century, the My Son and My Son-Binh Dinh styles, etc.

Among the remnants of many architectural sites excavated in 1898, a 24 metres high tower was found in the Thap Chua area and coded A I by archaeologists and researchers on My Son. This tower is a masterpiece of ancient Cham architecture. It has two doors, one in the east and the other in the west. The tower body is high and delicate with a system of paved pillars; six sub-towers surround the tower. This two storey tower looks like a lotus flower. The top of the upper layer is made of sandstone and carved with elephant and I ion designs. In the lower layer, the walls are carved with fairies and water evils and men riding elephants. Unfortunately, the tower was destroyed by US bombs in 1969.

After the My Son ancient tower complex was discovered, many of its artifacts, especially statues of female dancers and genies worshipped by the Cham people, worship animals and artifacts of the daily communal activities, were collected and displayed at the Cham Architecture Museum in Danang city. Although there are not many remnants left, those that remain display the typical sculptural works of cultural value of the Cham nationality. Furthermore, they are vivid proof, confirming the history of a nationality living within the Vietnamese community boasting of a rich cultural tradition.

World Heritage of Quang Nam-Vietnam, Hoi An Ancient Town

 No fluorescent lights, no motorcycles, no television, on the 15th day of each lunar month, the riverside town of Hoi An gives modern life the night off. Coming to Hoi An ancient town of Quang Nam province, tourists who travel to Vietnam will get unforgettable experiences of one of World Heritages recognized by UNESCO.

Coming to Hoi An ancient town of Quang Nam province, tourists who travel to Vietnam will get unforgettable experiences of one of World Heritages recognized by UNESCO.

Lying on the banks of the Thu Bon River, Quang Nam province ( in the South Central Coast of Vietnam), Hoi An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century.

Over the last few years, Hoi An has become a very popular tourist destination in Vietnam. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site. In 1999, the old town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO under the criteria C (II) and criteria C (V):

Criterion (II): Hoi An is an outstanding material manifestation of the fusion of cultures over time in an international commercial port.

Criterion (V): Hoi An is an exceptionally well preserved example of a traditional Asian trading port.

Occupied by early western traders, Hoi An was one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia in the 16th century and 17th centuries, where Chinese from various provinces as well as Japanese, Dutch and Indians settled down.

Light Bright

No fluorescent lights, no motorcycles, no television, on the 15th day of each lunar month, the riverside town of Hoi An gives modern life the night off.

In wood-fronted shops, a woman in traditional dress sits at a desk, bathed in the light of a lantern made from a simple bamboo fish-trap. Outside, two old men are absorbed in a candlelit game of Chinese checkers. Hoi An, a sleepy riverside town in the central province of Quang Nam. In the air of legendary, just experience the existence by tasting and feeling.

Hoi An has long been a cultural crossroad. More than five centuries ago the Vietnamese nation of Dai Viet expanded its territory southwards, encroaching on the Indianized Kingdom of Champa, which covered much of what is now central Vietnam. Hoi An, located on the Hoai River, emerged when Japanese and Chinese traders built a commercial district there in the 16th century.

These diverse cultural influences remain visible today. Visitors will find Hoi An's Old Quarter lined with two-storey Chinese shops, their elaborately carved wooden facades and moss-covered tile roofs having withstood the ravages of more than 300 years of weather and warfare. These proud old buildings, which back onto the river, remind visitors of another era, when Hoi An's market was filled with wares from as far afield as India and Europe. Colourful guildhalls, founded by ethnic Chinese from Guangdong and Fujian provinces, stand quietly, a testament to the town's trading roots.

While Hoi An's old-fashioned charm is always visible, on the 15th of every lunar month modernity takes another step back. On these evenings the town turns off its street lamps and fluorescent lights, leaving the Old Quarter bathed in the warm glow of coloured silk, glass and paper lanterns. In ancient times, Vietnamese people made lamps out of shallow bowls filled with oil. Later, foreign traders introduced lanterns, ranging from round and hexagonal designs from China to diamond and star shaped ones from Japan.

Let Hoi An be light

When developing plans to preserve their town's ancient character, Hoi An residents decided to revive the practice of using coloured lanterns. Starting in the fall of 1998, one night each month is declared a "lantern festival". On the 15th day of each lunar month, residents on Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Le Loi and Bach Dang streets switch off their lights and hang cloth and paper lanterns on their porches and windows. Television sets, radios, street lights and neon lights are turned off.

In the ensuing quiet the streets of Hoi An are at their most romantic, the darkness broken only by jewel toned lanterns in all manner of shapes and sizes.

Strolling through the lantern-lit streets is like walking into a fairytale. It is all the more picturesque since motor vehicles are banned from Hoi An's Old Quarter. On Trai Phu Street, don’t forget to stop at the beautifully preserved Faifo Restaurant to sample some traditional Chinese-style pastries. Or walk on to the Treated Caf6, where bamboo baskets, commonly used to wash rice, have been transformed into unique lanterns. These basket lamps are but one example of people's creativity as they experiment with new shapes and materials, including lights made from hollow bamboo tubes.

A Warm Glow

Buddhist worship takes place on the 15th day of the lunar month. Residents place offerings of food and incense on their ancestral altars and visit one of Hoi An's many pagodas. The scent of incense and the sounds of people singing add to the town's enchanted atmosphere. On these evenings, visitors will get a rare glimpse into another era. These nights are a welcome reminder of life's unexpected beauty.