ĐIỆN BIÊN – Teaching and studying ethnic music is one of the best ways to preserve its traditions, a seminar has heard.

The scientific seminar took place in the northern mountain province of Điện Biên on Thursday.

It is part of a grand plan to preserve and uphold values of the folk music of Vietnamese ethnic minorities up to 2020.

One suggestion was to raise awareness by teaching people to play instruments and offering incentives to artists who preserve the music around the country.

Co-hosted by the Việt Nam National Academy of Music (VNAM) and the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the event is aimed at assessing and recognising the values of traditional musical heritages and process of implementation of policies supporting the preservation of folk music of ethnic minorities in the region.

Ethnics practice "Then" singing-one of the popular ethinc folk music in the northern mountain region.

It was also a chance for management authority officials at local levels to intensify their work of management and development in the sector of traditional culture in the northern mountain areas.

Cultural authorities heard opinions of experts, scientists, researchers and folk music artists on various related issues in preserving the values of traditional musical heritages in the areas.

Nguyễn Thuỷ Tiên, a representative of VNAM, said the academy had collected and recorded various genres of folk music of ethnic minorities in the northern mountainous region over the past two decades. 
In particular, at the seminar, researchers and cultural artisans from Điện Biên, Lai Châu, Hòa Bình, Cao Bằng provinces talked about socio-cultural and artistic values of folk music genres in the region, their role in the spiritual lives, and measures to preserve and uphold them in the current life. 
Reports at the event mentioned practising Then singing in 11 northern mountainous provinces, folk music in ethnic groups in Điện Biên and preservation measures. — VNS