At the 14th session in Bogotá, Republic of Colombia on December 13, 2019, UNESCO officially recognized Vietnam's Then practice heritage as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
According to UNESCO, Then practice "is part of the spiritual life of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people, reflecting the relationship between humans, the natural world, and the universe." Then rituals express the solidarity and cultural identity of these ethnic groups, from customs to musical instruments, dance, and music. Thanks to its socio-cultural functions, Then contributes to moral education, lifestyle, and raising awareness of the importance of the heritage of ethnic communities not only in Vietnam but also in many countries around the world.
According to the Department of Cultural Heritage, UNESCO's recognition of Then practice as a world heritage has affirmed the rich cultural identity of ethnic groups in Vietnam. Ms. Le Thi Thu Hien - Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage also pledged to take necessary measures to protect the values of Then ritual practices.
Then practice describes the journey of a Then master (Mr. Then or Mrs. Then) controlling a group of ghost soldiers from Muong Dat to Muong Troi to offer offerings and make requests in ceremonies to pray for peace, cure illness, pray for crops, and wish a happy new year...
When the Then masters sing and play the Tinh Tau, it is the beginning of the journey. Depending on the purpose of the prayer, the Then master will set up the offering tray and pray to different local gods before the Then altar. Then masters often use objects such as exorcism swords, yin and yang rods, bells... to perform Then ceremonies at the believer's house, outdoors or at the Then altar in the master's house. The Then master wears ceremonial clothes and sings in his ethnic language while playing the Tinh Tau, shaking the musical instruments, waving the fan, accompanied by a group of female dancers.
Then is maintained and passed down through generations through oral tradition when practicing rituals. According to statistics, each year Then masters practice about 200 rituals. Then practice of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people is mainly concentrated in the provinces of the Northeast (Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang), and the Northwest (Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai).
