The one who breathes life into Mong culture

In Sin Cheng commune, there is a person who is preserving the craft of making mouth harp - a unique cultural feature of the Mong people. That is Mr. Giang A Thong, who has been attached to this rustic yet profound musical instrument, which has been likened to the "heart voice" of Mong boys and girls during spring love festivals.

Mr. Giang A Thong is 70 years old this year. Despite his old age, he still works hard to make mouth harps. His hands are calloused from years of meticulously carving, grinding, trimming, and bending each piece of brass to make the reeds precisely.

His passion for the Jew's harp began when he was young. He has been making the Jew's harp for 40 years now. He said making a Jew's harp is not difficult, but to play it well, the maker must have heart and soul.

Mr. Giang A Thong is playing the mouth harp.

“When I was young, I carried my mouth harp with me wherever I went. It was the “call” for my lover at a party, a way to express my feelings when I didn’t dare to say anything…”, Mr. Thong recalled.

Every day, he makes 6 to 7 jew's harps. He does not make them for economic purposes, but only to preserve the Mong's musical instrument from fading away. Not only does he make the jew's harps himself, he also teaches his children and grandchildren how to make this musical instrument. He is willing to teach anyone who wants to learn because he believes that preserving this craft is preserving the soul of the Mong people.

Currently, Mr. Thong is the only person in the commune who still makes Jew’s harp. The Party Committee and the authorities of Sin Cheng commune always encourage Mr. Thong to teach the profession to future generations; at the same time, they include folk musical instrument performances in collective activities of schools, festivals and traditional cultural activities of the locality.

Whenever there is a market or traditional festival, Mr. Thong takes out his mouth harp to play. The sound of the harp is warm and deep, attracting many people, reminding them of love stories from the past.

Mr. Giang A Thong sells jew's harps at the market.

Sin Cheng Commune not only has high mountains and terraced fields, but it is also a land rich in Mong cultural identity. Mr. Giang A Thong is the one who contributes to maintaining and promoting ethnic culture. The sound of the mouth harp is not only music, but also a symbol of love, identity and continuity of Mong generations.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/nguoi-thoi-hon-van-hoa-mong-post648820.html