The practice of ‘Then’ heritage has been handed down through generations. Artisans are the successors of this transmission and have developed the practice in community. To date, 100 ‘Then’ clubs have been established in the province. Moreover, ‘Then’ has been included in the curriculum to educate young generations on the country’s cultural identities.

Artisans such as People’s Artisan Ha Thuan and Meritorious Artisans Ha Ngoc Cao and Nguyen Manh Tham have not only practiced the ‘Then’ ritual but also composed, performed and upheld typical ‘Then’ melodies.

People’s Artisan Ha Thuan in Tan An Commune, Chiem Hoa District, teaching the practice of ‘Then’ to the young generation.

The ‘Cap Sac’ ritual and ‘Pao Dung’ folk singing are unique cultural practices of the Dao ethnic group in Tuyen Quang. More and more artisans have proactively participated in preserving and promoting the group’s intangible cultural heritage value, including Meritorious Artisans Ban Kim Son, Phan Van Phu and Le Hai Thanh Thay.

Meanwhile, ‘Sinh Ca’ folk song of the Cao Lan ethnic people is facing the danger of falling into oblivion. The provincial authorities thus have implemented a range of solutions to revive and uphold the value of this folklore singing, with a focus on raising the artisans’ roles. Currently, as many as 10 ‘Sinh Ca’ singing clubs have been launched in Son Duong District, three of them operated by Youth Union members.

Every year, the Provincial Association of Folklore Artists proposes local outstanding artisans to the Vietnamese Folklore Arts Association as nominees for the title of “Folk Artisan”. In 2019, the Provincial People’s Committee conferred the State’s honorary titles of ‘People’s Artisan’ and ‘Meritorious Artisan’ in the field of intangible cultural heritage on five local artisans.