“Whoever goes to Thanh Toan tiled-roof bridge
Let me go with you for fun”
The well-known Thanh Toan tiled-roof bridge has entered folk music for nearly 2 centuries and a half since Mrs. Tran Thi Dao donated her money to build the wooden bridge for her villagers in 1776 so that they could travel conveniently or drop by to cool off on hot days.
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| Mrs. Kinh at the Thanh Toan tiled-roof bridge |
And on that heritage bridge, every day people at the Thanh Thuy Chanh village still sing folk songs about their homeland such as bai choi (hut singing), ho gia gao (singing while pounding rice), ho ru em (lullabies,) which help make the heritage livelier and more soulful. The heritage is then living with and in the people.
One of the artisans who is often present and voluntarily sing to cheer up tourists visiting the tiled-roof bridge is Ms. Nguyen Thi Kinh. Now if you search for “O Kinh” on the Internet, you’ll find myriads of articles about her and other artisans who sing bai choi at the Thanh Toan tiled-roof bridge. But nothing can compare with sitting with her listening to her singing enjoying breezes from the stream and the nearby fields. It is as if you can smell the aroma of fields and the rustic village. Kinh was singing an ancient lullaby, which sounded so warm and sweet. Such an occasion is hard to be found without Kinh.
As said by Kinh, previously, when she still lived on collecting sand from the river, every night on her way back home alone at night, she felt so lonely that she burst into tears all the way from the Hon Chen temple to the Bach Ho bridge. Out of her loneliness, she sang to relieve her sadness. Now she owns a counter selling confectionery and coconut juice at the bridge. When free, she goes over to the tiled-roof bridge to sing for tourists. With or without money, she does it voluntarily, provided that there are listeners. Kinh just wants to make those who visit the bridge satisfied and love the land and its people in the Thanh Thuy Chanh village.
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| Doi and his nephew are singing bai choi at home |
That afternoon, I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Tran Duy Doi too at the bridge. We then gave a folklore show right on the historic bridge. Though in winter, many people visited the bridge. They all participated in singing. Particularly there were 4 young female teachers from Hanoi who kept filming us. “What an interesting afternoon. I didn't know Hue is so special with many talented and wholehearted artisans,” said one of them emotionally before saying goodbye.
Not only singing ancient melodies, Kinh and Doi also write lyrics. “They write high-quality lyrics which have connection with our history. Their lyrics are so poetic and meaningful. They are really talented artisans,” said poet Vo Que.
I feel grateful to these innocent musical people. They breathe life into the heritage. But at the same time, I kind of worry that after Kinh and Doi, who else will continue singing at the bridge. In Thanh Thuy Chanh, there are many people who can sing, but those who regard themselves as wandering singers, willing to sing without benefits, rain or shine, like Kinh and Doi are rare.
I took another look at the bridge before saying goodbye to Kinh and Doi, thinking about the glittering “gems” in folklore in villages across the country. Those modest people love their motherland so much and with all their pride. They are the wandering singers who preserve the quintessence for the village and for a modern and developing Hue today.