The whole village went to learn to play gongs.
The Central Highlands gong cultural space is a heritage recognized and honored by UNESCO.
Besides, the sound of gongs and the dance of mountain girls next to the communal house roof have been symbols of the Jrai and Ba Na people in the Central Highlands for generations.
To prevent this cultural feature from being lost, in 2024, the Dak Doa District Vocational Education and Continuing Education Center organized a free gong class for people in Kon Gang commune.
“When I heard the news, I couldn’t sleep all night, and asked the villagers to register so they could go to school. People work hard in the fields and pick coffee every day, but when they hear the sound of gongs, everyone feels excited and happy, forgetting all their tiredness,” Char confided.
Initially, the gong class had only 15 qualified members. However, later, more than 40 villagers volunteered to enroll. The youngest was only in 10th grade, the oldest was nearly 60 years old.
In the colorful brocade, Mr. Char confidently holds the gong and plays traditional songs such as: New Rice Celebration, Water Drop Offering Ceremony, Buffalo Stabbing Festival, Victory Celebration Ceremony...
In the same class, Mr. Lor (54 years old, from Kon Gang commune) said: “The teachers are artisans in Ia Grai district, with a lot of experience in teaching gongs to students. Being taught systematically, I have a deeper understanding of the sound of gongs, how to tune gongs, and the rhythm of each song in the festival.”
Mr. Lor hopes that the class will not only help improve students’ knowledge and understanding of gongs, but also create opportunities for students to perform at festivals in their villages and districts. If they are more professional, they will perform at major cultural festivals in and outside the province.
Preserving the beauty of indigenous culture
In the class in Kon Gang commune, H' Yang (10th grade student, Le Hong Phong High School) is notable. Encouraged by her parents, H' Yang diligently goes to class to practice after every school hour.
“I learn gongs to better understand the indigenous culture of my people, which is also the culture left by our ancestors. Dancing, singing, and playing gongs makes my life more meaningful. I will pass on these lessons to the young gong troupe in the future,” H’ Yang shared.
Every year, the Central Highlands provinces take turns hosting the Cultural Tourism Week and the Gong Culture Festival. Gia Lai is the province with the largest number of gongs, and the ethnic minority community preserves many rich festivals.
At the most recent Gong Festival, Gia Lai province attracted thousands of visitors to experience the unique street gongs. Among them, many artisans from Dak Doa district participated in the performance.
Ms. Nguyen Dinh Thi My Lai - Director of Dak Doa District Vocational Education and Continuing Education Center - said: "The long-term orientation of the district and province is to develop cultural tourism. Therefore, the unit opened a gong class, providing allowances for gasoline and travel for students and teachers. Most students are enthusiastic and diligent in attending the class."
According to Ms. Lai, when students have skills and knowledge about gong performance, they will participate in cultural festivals. Thereby, they will contribute to the development of cultural tourism, heritage preservation, and improving people's lives.
