Collect the Nam Âm music of the Fuchien Chinese people in Hồ Chí Minh city
The majority of Chinese residents in Hồ Chí Minh City reside in District 5, namely Sài Gòn - Chợ Lớn. Despite having resided in Vietnam for many years, the Chinese have managed to preserve traditional culture while retaining their identities.
Nam Âm music in Quanzhou, Fujian province, China originates from the Early Qin Dynasty (350 - 394) and became famous throughout the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). The Fujian people introduced Nam Âm music to other nations, notably Vietnam.
The “Fujian Ancient Music” Club is located in the area of the Fujian Club House, which was founded 275 years ago in Hồ Chí Minh City. The “Fujian Ancient Music” Club continues to practice and preserve the Nam Âm Quanzhou music in Vietnam. The Fujian Ancient Music Ensemble now has 18 members, the majority of them are young individuals born in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Previously, the “Fujian Ancient Music” Club exclusively passed down the Nam Âm music pieces to Vietnamese people of Fujian origin. Today, anybody with a desire for this type of music can learn.
In June 2023, the Vietnamese Institute for Musicology collected, recorded, and videotaped 33 Nam Âm songs performed by young people from the Fujian Ancient Music Ensemble. These music pieces are the materials to conserve and promote Nam Âm music among Fujian Chinese in Hồ Chí Minh City and throughout Vietnam.
NGUYỄN THỦY TIÊN