Resounding Gongs In Kon Tum

Entries

Resounding Gongs In Kon Tum

The space of gong culture in Tay Nguyen (Tây Nguyên) was admitted as "A human unwritten and immaterial masterpiece" In Vietnam in 2005. Gongs are present all over 05 provinces of Tay Nguyen that include Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dac Lac (Đắc Lắc), Dac Nong (Đắc Nông), and Lam Dong (Lâm Đồng). It can be said that, gongs have already become a sacred object of Tay Nguyen peoples, especially to peoples living in Kon Tum.

Coming to Kon Tum, you can visit Konkotu (Konkơtu) village, which is about 10km far from the town, or you can visit Kieng village, Ka Dir (Kà đừ), which belongs Sa Thay (Sa Thầy) suburban in order to enjoy bamboo-tube rice, drink Can wine, and watch their performance of gongs. You can also take part in cultural exchanges with peoples here by singing and dancing in a familiar, nice and warm space.

Kon Tum province has 6 main groups of peoples that are Xe Dang (Xê đăng), Gia Rai, Brau, Xo man (Xơ man), Gie Trieng (Giẻ Triêng), and the most crowded people is Ba Na. Beside that, there are other ethnic minorities living in villages. However, gongs of each people have different points which have a part in bringing warmness in cultural character of Tay Nguyen peoples.

For Gia Rai people and Bana people in Kon Tum, their gongs are considered that there are a lot of the most special kinds. A set of gongs has from 12 to 18 gongs with interesting melodies composed specially for each festival. All their kinds of gongs are plentiful such as Pom, Pat (Pát) gong, Lao (Lào) gong, Kur gong, Honh gong, ...


	A time of exchange gongs

For Brau people, which is one of the least peoples in Vietnam, their way of beating gongs is nearly similar to Gia Rai people's way. However, the special point is that they use T'rưng instrument - a kind of special musical instrument in Tay Nguyen treasure of musical instruments, which creates endless sounds for plays.

Other peoples such as Xe dang, Gie Trieng have a less quantity of gongs than other peoples. They give the name for each gong very strangely and similar to human name such as Ni (Nỉ) gong of Gie Trieng people has 3 gongs with names like Ko, tray, con, xao (which means that father, mother, daughter, son-in-law).

It can be said that gongs in Kon Tum have differences in comparison with Gia Lai, Dac Lac, Lam Dong about quantity, how to play, and its combination with others in festivals. And there is one thing easy to see that most of peoples in Kon Tum bring gongs into their daily life in order that it can become a sacred object in folk festivals.

Thanh Nguyen

Post to Facebook Post to Twitter

Related Entries Kon Tum

	Resounding Gongs In Kon Tum
	“Gỏi lá” - a special dish in Kon Tum
	Preserving ancient Kon Tum village Central Highland of Vietnam
	Preserving ancient Kon Tum village Central Highland of Vietnam