Tây Ninh is reviving its Chằn dance, a centuries-old masked performance of the Khmer people. — VNA/VNS Photo

TÂY NINH — Once at risk of falling into oblivion, Chằn dance – a centuries-old masked performance of the Khmer people - has been revived in the southern province of Tây Ninh, where monks, artisans, and young performers are working together to preserve the art form as a cultural treasure and a potential tourism draw.

Chằn dance, or Rô Băm Yeak Rom dance, is always featured at major Khmer festivals such as Chôl Chnăm Thmây (New Year), Sene Dolta (ancestor worship), and Óoc Om Bóc (moon offering).

Monk Kiên Sô Phát, the abbot of Bôtum Kiri Răngsây Pagoda in Bình Minh Ward, emphasised that rapid social and cultural changes have long posed a threat to traditional performing arts. In the past, pagoda and village festivities often featured the Rom Vong Dance alongside modern-style performances. However, in recent years, many pagodas and Khmer communities have begun to reintroduce the Chằn dance into their celebrations.

Monks, nuns, and traditional cultural aficionados have joined efforts to revive the traditional five-tone orchestras and invited artisans from Cần Thơ City and Vĩnh Long Province to train the younger generation.

Phát said Chằn dance emphasises stylised body movements, particularly hand and foot gestures to portray gods, demons, and legendary characters.  The revival of the art form demonstrates the community’s cultural pride as well as the efficacy of the preservation work amidst deep global integration.

For young performers like 18-year-old Binh Na Quinh and 22-year-old Phan Đết from Ninh Điền Commune, learning the Chằn dance has been a source of pride. They expressed their aspiration to pass on the traditional art form and inspire love for national culture among the young Khmer people. 

A Chằn dance performance at Bôtum Kiri Răngsây Pagoda in Bình Minh Ward, Tây Ninh Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

Ngô Tư Lê, a member of the province’s Literature and Arts Association, warned that many folk songs, dances, and musical genres survive mainly through oral transmission and risk disappearing if not recorded or passed on.

Seeing Tây Ninh's burgeoning tourism sector, he said, preserving and promoting the value of folk songs, dances, and music in connection with tourism development should be viewed as an urgent task. He explained that this is a solution to protect cultural identity and spur socio-economic development.

The Tây Ninh Party Committee has recognised tourism as a key sector for development, with a focus on transforming the Bà Đen Mountain tourist area into a national-level destination. To support this vision, the province has prioritised the preservation of ethnic folk traditions, incorporating them into the national target programme for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for 2022-2030. Furthermore, the province has worked to preserve and promote unique cultural values by turning art forms that reflect ethnic identity into distinctive tourism products. This effort aims to enrich cultural life, foster national pride, expand cultural tourism, and showcase local heritage on both national and international stages. — VNA/VNS