Children are taught how to perform khèn . VNA/VNS Photo

TUYÊN QUANG – Under the early summer sun of Việt Nam’s northern mountainous region, the schoolyard of Sủng Là Semi-Boarding Primary School for ethnic minority students in Sa Phìn Commune, Tuyên Quang Province, fills with a distinctive sound.

The melodies of the Mông people’s khèn (panpipe) blend with the laughter of highland children, bringing life and warmth to the small school nestled amid the karst plateau.

In a land known for buckwheat flowers in season, old rammed earthen houses, and silver-grey stone fences, a special class is quietly helping preserve the cultural legacy of the Mông ethnic community. The training course on khèn playing and dancing, organised by the Tuyên Quang centre for culture and cinematography, aims to pass on traditional heritage to younger generations.

Bringing heritage into schools

In the Đồng Văn Karst Plateau Geopark, the sound of khèn has long been more than festive music. For the Mông people, the instrument represents the voice of the soul, reflects the rhythm of life, and carries memories of spring fairs, harvest celebrations, and gatherings along rocky mountain slopes.

Introducing khèn  performance into schools, therefore, is not simply about teaching a performing art. It’s also a way to uphold the community’s cultural identity for future generations.

Tải Đình Tinh, director of the provincial Centre for Culture and Cinema, said the art of khèn playing and dancing is one of the most distinctive cultural traditions of the Mông ethnic group in the Đồng Văn Karst Plateau.

Over time, many traditional cultural values risk fading away if they are not passed down, he noted, adding that as long as children still love the sound of khèn and want to learn and preserve it, the heritage will continue to live on.

The sound of the khèn echoes across the mountainous area, reflecting the traditional cultural identity of the Mông ethnic people. Photo baotuyenquang.com.vn

Beyond learning performance skills, students are also introduced to the deeper cultural significance of the instrument in the Mông community life. Through stories shared by artisans, many children are discovering for the first time that khèn is closely tied to the history, customs, and spiritual life of their ethnic group.

Nurturing young guardians of heritage

In previous years, many mountainous communities worried that younger generations were gradually losing familiarity with traditional music, folk songs, and even their native language amid the pressures of modernisation. Bringing cultural heritage into schools is therefore seen as a way to “plant the seeds” of cultural identity among local youth.

Lý Ngọc Long, vice chairman of the Sa Phìn Commune People’s Committee, shared that local authorities consistently prioritise preserving and promoting the Mông cultural identity in tandem with developing community-based tourism.

Cultural heritage can only truly survive when it is preserved and continued by the community that possesses it. Seeing students enthusiastically learn to play and dance with the panpipe is an encouraging sign for cultural preservation efforts in the locality, he added.

In recent years, many localities across the Đồng Văn Karst Plateau have strengthened efforts to integrate traditional culture preservation into schools. Khèn performances, linen weaving, folk songs and traditional games are gradually becoming more familiar once again to younger generations. VNA/VNS