Most visitors to Vietnam are often mesmerized with not only the amazingly magnificent natural landscape, mouth-watering cuisine but also richness and uniqueness of Vietnamese music culture. Vietnam has a reputation for a variety of valuable intangible cultural heritage officially recognized by UNESCO. Among all, Hue Royal Court Music is one of the most interesting ones that captivate foreign visitors’ hearts and minds. Here, I am going to share with you such great experience that I had with Hue Royal Court Music.
Thi Duong theater
Hue Royal Court Music – An overview
Hue Royal Court Music, also known as ‘Nha Nhac Cung Dinh Hue’ is a well-known old art form. This kind of intangible cultural heritage, for a long time of existence, has become an integral part of Vietnamese people in general and Hue Imperial City in particular. In 2003, it was officially recognized as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO.
Originated from Ly Dynasty from 1010 to 1225, Hue Royal Court Music rapidly spread to become one of the most favorite kinds of music enjoyed by the majority of people. Nevertheless, after a short period of time, this kind of music was ignored. Until the reign of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945, Hue Royal Court Music was brought back to its position and flourish than ever.
What Makes it Attractive?
Hue Royal Court Music contains two subtypes including “Dai Nhac” and “Tieu Nhac”; each of which possesses its own distinct characteristics. In general, it is a kind of musical genre with elegant and charming lyrics, accompanied by complicated dance. In comparison with “Dai Nhac”, “Tieu Nhac” has smaller and lower dimension and are usually performed in religious anniversaries, religious holidays, receptions and royal parties. Artists have to wear suitable traditional costumes and perform along with the lyrics. This kind of music can be performed by both male and female. Especially, singers and dancers have to pay high concentration on their performance because Hue Royal Court Music requires strict rules and regulations that must be well-paid attention.
Characterized as a kind of royal music which served the King’s entertainment demands, Hue Royal Court Music is gaining its never-ending growth to be the official music of the whole country. No one can deny the aesthetic values that this royal music brings about. At first, it is a kind of entertainment with good lyrics and dances, captivating audiences; hearts and minds. To be more specific, it also reflects spirit and soul of the royal dynasty as every aspect of daily lives involving culture, law, art, power, joy, and sorrow are fully and deeply demonstrated in the lyrics and melodies of this royal music. Therefore, Hue Royal Court Music can be seen as a source of inspiration for the audiences, thereby giving them a deeper understanding of the Vietnamese culture. At the contemporary time, this kind of music not only become dominant in Vietnam but also makes its way to other countries in the world enjoyed by a majority of people.
Attempt to Preserve Hue Royal Court Music
Featured as national music, Hue Royal Court Music should be preserved with its original traditional values and handed down to later generations. A number of key matters have been taken into consideration to investigate how to promote and facilitate the preservation of Hue Royal Court Music. One of the things is that a documentary selection of books and photographs is planned to prevent them from being lost or ignored. Moreover, it is also necessary to make it popular in mass media to get the attention of all people from old age to the young ones.
All in all, Hue Royal Court Music will be long-lasting forever and become the cultural beauty of the Vietnamese people. If you have a chance to enjoy Vietnam Vacation Packages, you should go to enjoy this wonderful music to get the taste of an elegant Vietnam or let’s join in Vietnam Heritage Tour to explore the best Cultural Heritages in Vietnam.
