Why do peach blossoms herald Tet

Why do peach blossoms herald Tet? Peach blossoms in Vietnamese is Hoa Đào. Tet is also called lunar new year on the same day with China new year.

"At the year's end, when we are absent, you should break flowering peach branches and place them in your homes," advised the deities.

Long ago, a hundred-year-old peach tree stood to the east of Soc Son Mountain. Its branches covered a vast area. Two deities named Tra and Uat Luy lived in this giant peach tree and used their powers to protect the locals.

Any demons or ghosts that dared approach were chased away by the deities. Evil spirits were so terrified by their lightning that they avoided the peach tree.

Peach blossoms herald Tet in Vietnam

At the year's end, like many other deities, Tra and Uat Luy had to travel to Heaven to attend the Emperor's meeting. During the New Year holidays, demons took advantage of their absence to wreak havoc on the world.

Upon hearing people's complaints, the two deities said: "At the year's end, when we are absent, you should break flowering peach branches and place them in your homes. The demons will think we are still there and cause no trouble."

People followed the deities' advice and decorated their homes with flowering peach boughs. Some placed small trees in their houses to protect their families. Those who had no peach trees drew the two deities on vermilion paper and stuck these papers on their doors to ward off evil spirits.

Each year, during the Tet holidays, people buy peach branches to decorate their houses and ward off evil. Over time, they forgot the origins of this custom. However, the traditions of buying peach trees and making red parallel sentences are still followed every Lunar New Year.

Why do peach blossoms herald Tet?

The painter Vu Dinh Tuan is a lecturer of Graphic Arts at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts said: "This folk tale briefly and meaningfully explains the Vietnamese custom of buying peach trees during the Lunar Tet holidays. Ancient people wanted to find ways to ward off evil, eliminate the bad, promote the good and bring back peace and happiness every New Year. This beautiful sacred ritual should be passed on to later generations. In this illustrated folk tale, peach blossoms and red parallel sentences shine and melt into the miraculous realm of the deities.".

Why do peach blossoms herald Tet.

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Bronze Gongs and Cymbals in Vietnam's Central Highland

Bronze Gongs and Cymbals play a key role in the cultures of Vietnam's Central Highland.

Since ancient times, ethnic minority groups in Vietnam's Central Highlands have used cymbals and gongs as trade items, yardsticks of prosperity, a means to express connections between families and clans, and above all, to communicate with deities and convey wishes for peace and affluence. Reliant on nature, these societies place strong faith in supernatural forces, rituals and the farming cycle.

Bronze Gongs and Cymbals are closely linked with the ceremonial rites, music and dance.

Virtually all ethnic groups in the Central Highlands use bronze gongs. The gongs are usually grouped into named sets. Different sets are used for different tasks and events. Each ethnicity has its own versions: double cymbal sets (also called Tha cymbals) of the Brau people; sets of three-buttoned gongs of the Churu, Bahna, Jarai and Gie Trieng ethnicities; sets of six flat cymbals of the Ma people; Stang sets of the Xo Dang; cymbal sets of Gar, Noong, Prong and Mnong families; Diek cymbal sets of Kpa families; sets of six-buttoned Bih gongs of Ede families; a set of 11 or 12 cymbals including three buttoned gongs and eight to nine flat cymbals of Giarai (Arai) family), Bahna (To Lo, Kon K'Deh families) and Sedang (Steng family), etc.

Depending on the nature of rituals, different sets of gongs are used. For instance, Giarai people use tonah/kodo cymbals for cheerful events. Each set comprises eight to nine cymbals and a large drum. Arap sets are used at funerals, and include 13 cymbals or more. Dependent on financial circumstances, a family or clan may possess personal sets of cymbals to be used for their own events.

Each ethnic group in the Central Highlands also boasts a different way of playing gongs. The beat of the Edes' gongs is quick and intense. The Mnong's gong rhythms are also fairly quick, but more moderate. The sounds of Bahna — Jarai gongs depend on the main pitch and accompanying pitches. The low pitch of buttoned gongs is firm, while the high pitch of flat cymbals is sharp and melodious. Since gongs and cymbals are grouped in sets, their sounds comprise a blend of different pitches that demonstrate subtle tonal expressions. The gong-makers' profound knowledge of sound waves allows them to create instruments with unique sounds.

Over the centuries, cymbals and gongs have become a sacred cultural essence of the Central Highlands. Strict rules were passed down concerning artisans, gender rules, postures, performance techniques and repertoires for different religious events. The cultures of the region's ethnic minority groups pivot around bronze gongs and cymbals. This is a community-centric art-form and an expression of the philosophy and rich history of communities throughout the Central Highlands. This art-form deserves to be recognized as an "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity".

Check out, this clip is on Gongs and Cymbals Rhythm in a dance at a Festival of ethnic minority groups in Vietnam's Central Highlands:

Bronze Gongs and Cymbals in Vietnam's Central Highland.

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Wood Carving Handicraft Village Of Vietnam

The late writer Nguyen Tuan heaped praise on the skill of craftspeople in Chang Village. In his captivating story "On the peak of Tan Mount", even the god Tan Vien asked these artisans to undertake the restoration of his temple. Chang Handicraft Village is located in Son Tay near Hanoi, once the ancient capital of Thang Long. Here, wood carvers perfected techniques of overhanging and chaining sculptures. This region, in former Ha Tay province and now part of greater Hanoi, was also known for its jewelry-making, weaving and embroidery.

Wood-carving villages were founded in the Ly and Tran dynasties. They have left many breathtaking wooden sculptures, such as the Thousand Armed Thousand Eyed Buddha statue in But 'Thap Pagoda; arhat statues in Tay Phuong Pagoda; and carvings on the eaves of Dinh Bang Communal Temple. While many sculptures have been destroyed by time, turbulence and warfare, this ancient skill has not been lost. Nowadays, the villages of Son Dong, Phu Xuyen and Dong Ky are major wood carving centers, which specialize in different types of furniture and decorative items.

The most intriguing one is Son Dong Village, just 10 km from central Hanoi. Here, carvers and gilders produce ceremonial items. Watching them work one can't help but admire their skill as they wield chisels, planers and saws to accentuate the grain of the wood. Dong Son carvers produced religious items such as thrones and altars, grand inscriptions, facade boards, parallel sentences, decorative doors, cranes standing on tortoises, eight precious things, gilded boxes, etc. These items are decorated with traditional designs such as sacred animals, clouds, fire, and lotus petals. While religious items are solemn, the carpenters can include lighter, creative touches.

Hence, we can see teasing deer (symbolic of affluence) or squirrels (symbolic of thick lineage) on altars. To meet customers’ demands, carvers sometimes adapt European motifs such as leaves and grapes within a group of four sacred animals. Looking at these carvings, we can discern the cultural background and aesthetic sense of this community.

Of all chiseling techniques, overhanging sculpture is the most difficult. The carver must hollow out the back of the wooden reliefs so that a dragon's head will pop out III and phoenixes will seem to hover in the air. Chaining techniques are easier. Bas-reliefs patterns on the wood's surface are easiest type to produce.

Youngsters in Son Dong follow their relatives to master planers and saws. Every villager is knowledgeable about types of wood or how to deal with termites or wood warping.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, a young craftsman in Son Dong, the recent economic slowdown has caused a sharp drop in demand. Some years back, every household was swamped with orders. Today, most orders come from temples, shrines and pagodas. This denotes a marked shift towards traditional and religious values in contemporary society. According to the village's carvers, the hardest thing is to capture the soul and nature of Buddhism and Holy Mother Beliefs in their creations. These artists must portray the benevolence of the Buddha, the gravity of the Holy Mother of Heaven or the Holy Mother of the Mountains, the solemnity of the arhats and Vajradhara, and the innocence of young men and maidens.

After carving, products are either gilded or polished with oil to highlight the natural wood. The most popular polish is now industrial paint. In ancient times, the use of national oil, gold and silver were widespread, and resulted in a finish that became more beautiful over time. Sadly, this old technique has been cast aside as it was time-consuming. This is unfortunate, as national oil accentuated the beauty of these incredible carvings.

Wood Carving Handicraft Village Of Vietnam.

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