Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Photo: Game singers explain the rules to play Bai Choi to the audience. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: A foreign tourist enjoys Bai Choi performance in Hoi An ancient town, Quang Nam province. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: A Bai Choi singer places playing cards in the central house. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: A Bai Choi performance in Hoi An, Quang Nam province with the participation of tourists and locals. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: The Bai Choi singers present the prizes to winners of the game. The winner is decided when they have three same cards with the cards held by the game singers, at which point they achieve a red flag. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: A game singer places the playing cards in the central house. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: Game singers and artisans Nguyen Dang and Phan Thi Hoa are the souls of a Bai Choi performance because they bring the folk music of Quang Nam and laughter to the audience. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: A Bai Choi performance in Hoi An ancient town, Quang Nam province. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: A kid holds a playing card while participating in Bai Choi performance. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: A tourist draws a card from a bamboo pole in the central house while participating in Bai Choi performance. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: In Hoi An ancient town, Quang Nam province, Bai Choi folk music is performed every night, attracting numerous tourists and locals. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: In Hoi An ancient town, Quang Nam province, Bai Choi folk music is performed every night, attracting numerous tourists and locals. The Bai Choi songs carry educational and humanitarian meanings. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: The game singer distributes playing cards to players prior to the start of Bai Choi performance. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: The game singer delivers a red flag to the cottage which has three cards that match the cards drawn from the bamboo poles. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: The cards, red and yellow flags and bamboo poles, all are essentials to Bai Choi performance. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: Game singers and artisans Nguyen Dang and Phan Thi Hoa are the souls of a Bai Choi performance because they bring the folk music of Quang Nam and laughter to the audience. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: Nightly Bai Choi performance always attracts many participants, especially young travellers who visit Hoi An ancient town, Quang Nam province. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: Foreign tourists learn the meaning of the playing cards while participating in a Bai Choi performance in Hoi An ancient town, Quang Nam province. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: The cards are stuck on bamboo poles and presented in the central house for players to see. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: Game singers and artisans Nguyen Dang and Phan Thi Hoa are the souls of a Bai Choi performance because they bring the folk music of Quang Nam and laughter to the audience. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: Game singer and artisan Nguyen Dang sings the meaning of the playing cards and brings laughter to the audience through his ways of singing. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: Game singer and artisan Nguyen Dang sings the meanings of the playing cards and brings laughter to the audience through his ways of singing. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: A game singer sings the meaning of a card while presenting it to the audience for comparison. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Photo: Card deliverer Phan Van Phong rewards a group with a yellow flag, which signify this group has one card match with that of the game singers. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt

VNA Photos

Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

12/13/2018 11:18 | TTXVN |

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt

Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017. Photo: The game singer delivers a red flag to the cottage which has three cards that match the cards drawn from the bamboo poles. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017. Photo: Game singers and artisans Nguyen Dang and Phan Thi Hoa are the souls of a Bai Choi performance because they bring the folk music of Quang Nam and laughter to the audience. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017. Photo: Game singer and artisan Nguyen Dang sings the meanings of the playing cards and brings laughter to the audience through his ways of singing. VNA Photo: Trọng Đạt
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.
Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

Bai Choi singing is a popular folk music genre practised in Vietnam’s central region, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang city. The stage for Bai Choi performances encompasses nine cottages, each containing five or six ‘players’. One of the cottages, the central house, contains a troupe of musicians and instruments. A deck of playing cards is split in half, with one stack distributed amongst the players, and the other placed in the central house. The cards are stuck onto bamboo poles and erected outside the cottages. The game singer delivers a flag to each cottage, all the while singing Bai choi, and then draws a card from the central house. Whoever holds the card closest in value to the game singer’s card wins. The Bai choi songs are about festivals, daily life and work, and are accompanied by musical instruments. The game and songs were developed by Mandarin Dao Duy Tu (1572-1634) to help locals protect their crops. The folk music was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 2017.

Bai Choi singing – unique folk music in Central Vietnam

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