Preserving cultural identities of ethnic groups in Dong Nai

In the brilliant golden sunshine of the South in the early days of spring, the house of Noi Thi Uyen (65 years old, living in Dong Chac hamlet, Tan Loi commune, Dong Nai province) once again resonates with the sound of the tinh lute and the melodies of then singing. Blended into the traditional melody are new lyrics: “Celebrating the merger of Binh Phuoc - Dong Nai / The wide road stretches ahead / Now Dong Nai - Binh Phuoc are one family / Affection has blossomed and borne fruit... Our province now opens vast and wide...”. Members of the Then Singing and Folk Song Preservation Club of Tan Loi commune are practicing together to prepare for the art program celebrating the founding anniversary of the Party and the Spring of the Year of the Horse 2026.

Having celebrated Tet on this basalt red soil land for more than 40 years, this year’s Tet, Uyen feels the atmosphere is more bustling because of the great changes of the homeland.

Then singing “takes root” on Dong Nai land

In 1985, at the age of 19, Noi Thi Uyen together with her parents and 7 siblings traveled on coaches from Cao Bang province to settle in the land that is now Tan Loi commune, Dong Nai province. At that time, North - South coach routes were still very few. They had to take many trips before finally reaching the new land. Along with Uyen’s family, there were also about a dozen Tay and Nung ethnic households who decided to leave their homeland to the South. When arriving at this Tan Loi land, they saw that the land was fertile, flat, and trees were lush, so they decided to choose it as a place to settle and build their lives.

Art performances of the S’tieng ethnic people at the New Rice Celebration Festival in Tan Hung commune. Photo: Thanh Thao

“In those early days after we arrived, everyone’s life was still very difficult. During the day, everyone tried to work hard to ‘earn a living’ but at night, we were overwhelmed with homesickness, missing the sound of the tinh lute, missing the melodies of then singing so deeply that they brought us to tears. At that time, when we moved to the South, no one thought of bringing the lute, so when missing it too much, we could only ‘sing without accompaniment, Uyen recalled.

When life gradually became stable, no longer worrying about daily meals, North - South coach trips also became more convenient, Tay and Nung people in Tan Loi commune asked relatives in their homeland to send several tinh lutes. At first, almost no one knew how to play, and there was no teacher to pass on the craft, but with passion for ethnic cultural identity, Uyen and some others self-studied through the “30 minutes of folk songs and traditional music” program broadcast on the Voice of Vietnam.

Gradually, together with socio-economic development, people’s lives became more prosperous, and with the attention of local Party committee and authorities, the Then Singing Club was established and operated in an organized manner. Up to now, the club has more than 20 members, operates regularly and has participated in many exchange and performance programs.

Not only in Tan Loi commune, in the 1980s, many Tay and Nung ethnic people from northern mountainous provinces migrated to Dong Nai to settle. They lived in concentrated residential clusters; supported one another in economic development and preserved the unique cultural features of their ethnic groups. Accordingly, many then singing and tinh lute clubs were established, such as: Then Singing Club of Song Ray commune; Then Singing Club in hamlet 8, Thanh Son commune; Then Singing Club Tan Thien, Binh Phuoc ward... The clubs maintain activities on a regular basis, participate in local cultural and artistic programs; exchange and perform at events and festivals..., contributing to spreading the sound of the tinh lute and then singing across Dong Nai land.

Cherishing and preserving cultural identities

In the overall process of national history, Dong Nai is a land with more than 325 years of formation and development. Throughout that journey, Dong Nai has always been a “safe land for birds to perch upon”, generously welcoming people from all regions of the country, of many ethnicities and religions, to settle and build careers.

Members of the Then singing and folk song Preservation Club of Tan Loi commune rehearse performances for the art program celebrating the Party’s founding anniversary and welcoming the Spring of the Year of the Horse 2026. Photo: Hai Yen

Tracing back more than 325 years, Chinese residents following General Tran Thuong Xuyen from China arrived at Cu Lao Pho or Pho Isle (now Tran Bien ward). This group of residents contributed to building Pho Isle into one of the most bustling trading ports at that time. Along with that, in the journey of reclaiming the Southern land, migrant groups from the five Quang regions (namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Quang Duc (Thua Thien Hue), Quang Nam and Quang Ngai) also chose Dong Nai as a place to settle. But before the Chinese and Kinh residents appeared on this land, Dong Nai was already the land of indigenous residents, mainly including the ethnic groups: S’tieng, Choro, Ma, Co Ho... Due to favorable soil and climate conditions, rich resources..., Dong Nai increasingly attracted residents from all regions of the country to live and settle.

They not only “carried the names of their communes and villages in each migration trip” but also brought with them the unique cultural identities of their own ethnic groups and original homelands. Like the generosity and gentleness of the Southern land itself, these cultural identities did not conflict but harmonized and integrated to coexist, creating a diverse, converging and spreading cultural picture of Dong Nai.

In the process of socio-economic development, especially rapid industrialization and urbanization, some traditional cultural values inevitably face the risk of fading. However, with the Party’s policy of preserving and promoting an advanced culture imbued with national identity, together with the dedication of the people, many traditional cultural activities have been restored, preserved and increasingly spread.

In Dong Nai land, it is not difficult to hear the deep and powerful sound of gongs of S’tieng and Choro ethnic groups; the sound of the tinh lute and then singing of Tay and Nung people; or folk melodies of Quan ho (love duet) singing of Kinh Bac region; and also the Lam thon dances of Khmer people... These cultural features are associated with traditional festivals such as: Bau breaking festival of S’tieng people, Sayangva new rice celebration of Choro people; Yang-bo-nom worship ceremony (mountain god) of Ma people; Ky yen ceremony of Vietnamese people; Ta tai phan festival of Hai Ninh Chinese community... All have created a Dong Nai with a diverse and rich cultural appearance while still deeply imbued with national identity.

Currently, Dong Nai province has about 4.5 million people of many ethnic groups with unique cultural colors. When cultural identities are preserved and promoted, they will truly become a spiritual foundation, endogenous resource and important driving force for the province together with the rest of the country to enter an era of prosperous, thriving and happy development.

By Hai Yen - Translated by Diec Quyen, Thu Ha