Preserving the traditional dances of the Bru–Van Kieu people

A Traditional Dance being revived and passed down

Phuc Loc Village in Hung Loc Commune, located within the buffer zone of Bach Ma National Park, is home to several ethnic minority communities, including the Bru–Van Kieu, Pa Hy, Ta OI, and Co Tu peoples. The village has more than 180 households and over 778 residents. When they first migrated to this area 45 years ago, they brought with them not only their traditional way of life, but also their dances, folk songs, and musical instruments. However, under the influence of modern life, many of these cultural traditions have gradually faded and fallen into obscurity.

Recognizing this situation, in recent years, local authorities and mass organizations - particularly Women’s Union chapters at various levels across Hue City - have actively carried out numerous activities to restore and preserve the community’s cultural heritage. Among these efforts, the establishment of a traditional performing arts group for the Bru–Van Kieu community has emerged as a notable success.

Through training classes, participants - particularly women and young people - receive systematic instruction in traditional dances, bamboo dancing techniques, and the use of ethnic musical instruments. Ho Thi The, born in 1995 and the youngest member of the traditional performing arts group, expressed her joy and pride in joining the women’s dance group of Phuc Loc Village. She said, “Through the class, I have had the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the beauty of my people’s traditional culture, from values preserved over generations to the folk songs passed down by our ancestors. This also motivates the younger generation to continue inheriting, preserving, and promoting our ethnic cultural identity.”

Ms. Ho Thi Lien, born in 1976 and another member of the performing arts group, shared: “When the dance class was launched, the women in the village were very excited and enthusiastically took part. Since leaving our hometown of Ba Long in Quang Tri Province to settle in Phuc Loc Village, we had never had the opportunity to learn the traditional dances of the Bru–Van Kieu people. Therefore, when an instructor from Khe Sanh Commune in Quang Tri came to teach us, we were extremely delighted and practiced day and night diligently, determined to build a well-trained dance group.”

According to Ms. Lien, this initiative not only helps preserve traditional cultural values but also creates opportunities for cultural exchange, strengthens community bonds, and gradually supports the development of local livelihoods.

Ms. Ho Thi Thoi, a dance instructor from Khe Sanh Commune in Quang Tri Province, said, “Most of the women in Phuc Loc Village are Bru–Van Kieu, but they have had limited opportunities to learn about and fully understand their people’s folk songs and traditional dances. Through the support of Hue City Women’s Union, I have directly taught the women dance movements that strongly reflect the traditional cultural identity of the Bru–Van Kieu people. These include movements inspired by everyday activities such as sowing rice, pounding rice, and bathing in streams. Each movement carries its own meaning, reflecting the community’s working life, daily activities, and spiritual character, thereby helping raise awareness of the need to preserve and promote traditional cultural values within the community.”

Not only providing opportunities for practice, these activities also help rekindle ethnic pride and strengthen each community member’s awareness of the importance of preserving their cultural identity. Graceful dance movements performed to the rhythms of gongs and drums, together with the sound of traditional folk songs, are gradually bringing a once-forgotten cultural space back to life.

Cultural preservation is not only spiritually significant but is also linked to the development of community-based tourism, helping create livelihoods and improve local residents’ quality of life.

These efforts demonstrate that when local authorities, organizations at all levels, and the community work together, traditional culture can not only be preserved but also given new life. The ongoing revival of the Bru–Van Kieu people’s folk songs and traditional dances in Phuc Loc Village is a vivid testament to the enduring vitality of ethnic culture. At the same time, it is a journey that rekindles a sense of pride, ensuring that traditional values continue to be passed down, shared, and sustained for generations to come.

Ms. Tran Thi Kim Loan, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and Chairwoman of the Hue City Women’s Union, said, “The revival and preservation of the Bru–Van Kieu people’s traditional dances is one of the activities under the project entitled “Developing Sustainable Livelihoods through Sustainable FSC-Certified Forest Management and Piloting Community-Based Tourism in Association with the Revival of Traditional Cultural Practices of Ethnic Minority Communities in Phuc Loc Village, Hung Loc Commune, Hue City.” Led by the Hue City Women’s Union, the project is being implemented from October 2025 to September 2026 with funding from the Global Environment Facility through the United Nations Development Program. Its objective is to pilot a community-based tourism model while protecting the environment and preserving the traditional cultural identity of ethnic minority communities in Phuc Loc Village.”