With 12 ethnic groups living together for a long time, Son La province boasts a diverse and vibrant traditional culture. Numerous cultural heritage sites, traditional festivals, social customs, and unique beliefs serve as endless inspiration for writers and artists to create literary and artistic works rich in ethnic identity, reflecting the spirit of life, and contributing to the preservation and promotion of traditional culture, further enhancing the beauty of the land and people of Son La.
Delegates view an exhibition of works submitted to the Literature and Art Workshop.
Artist Le Chuong, Chairman of the Union of Literature and Arts Associations, said: Every year, the Association organizes four creative camps, encouraging writers and artists to create works that truly reflect life, inspire aspirations, preserve national culture, and spread positive values. Each camp attracts dozens of members, participating in the creation of hundreds of literary works, poems, and research on folk art, fine arts, and photography.
It can be said that, with their practical life experience, dedication, and rich expertise, and with their artistic perspective, writers and artists explore the beautiful traditional cultural values of various ethnic groups, creating many outstanding works of art, contributing to the dissemination, promotion, and honoring of the beautiful traditional cultural features preserved for millennia.
In the field of literature, the novel and emotionally rich poems; the essays, notes, and short stories, through their heartfelt emotions, not only demonstrate artistic value but also truthfully reflect the land and people of Son La. Among them, mention must be made of the poetry collection "Searching for verses throughout the Muong Va land" by Hoang Huu Khai; the poetry collection "The Soul of the Gong Preserves the Spirit" by Kieu Duy Khanh; the short story "Character" by Ho A Di; the essay "Nang Han and the Local Spirits" by Dieu Chinh Toi; and the Thai-language poetry collection "Where the soldier built the village and the community" by Luong Thi Niu. Particularly noteworthy is the Thai-language poetry collection "Spring Comes to the Lao Kho Highlands" by Dinh Lien, which highlights the symbol of the close bond and special friendship between Vietnam and Laos, and which won the A prize in the Literature and Arts Award for the period 2019-2024...
In the field of fine arts, artists conduct fieldwork, exploring imagery through artistic perspectives, using modern techniques, with concise lines and refined visual language. Many artists create works of high artistic value, rich in emotion, depicting natural landscapes, portraits, and the daily life of the people. Examples include the works "Traditional Crafts" and "Harvest Season" by artist Lo Luan; or "Memories of Chieng La Lake" by artist Le Chuong, exhibited at the 2023 Northwest-Viet Bac Regional Exhibition III in Cao Bang...
Photography, despite its unique characteristics, demands exceptional quick reflexes from the artist to capture moments of light, rhythm, natural landscapes, and people. However, with keen, dynamic thinking and a love for art, the authors have created incredibly realistic photographs. Among them, notable works include "The Border Strip" by Nguyen Manh Hai; "The Golden Season of Phieng Mut" by Ngoc Vinh; "Phu Yen in a New Day" by Trang A Chu; and "Embroidering the Piêu Scarf" by Dieu Chinh Toi...
Writers and artists participate in creative writing camps at armed forces units.
Author Trang A Chu shared: "Each field trip to the creative camps has provided inspiration and helped artists gain a better understanding of the customs, traditions, and cultural characteristics of the ethnic minorities. Through this, we have created works that truly reflect life and are well-received by the public."
In the field of music, each songwriting camp produces high-quality, artistic works with rich expressiveness, beautiful lyrics, and smooth melodies, praising love for the homeland and portraying the image of the people of Son La. Many songs are deeply rooted in mountain folk music, creating a captivating picture of distinctive cultural and artistic characteristics, and giving each artist their own unique style. Notable examples include: "Shine Forever in Muong Chanh" by Mui Hai; "Sunrise in the Mountain Town" by Trieu Tien Phuong; and "Love Story of Noc Khum" by Thanh Xuan...
Regarding the collection and research of folk art, through profound understanding and analysis of documents and information related to folk culture, especially through direct interaction with ethnic communities, combined with creative thinking, many authors have produced works and artistic projects that reflect diverse and profound aspects of folk culture. Notably, researcher and collector Ca Chung contributed three very elaborate outlines of works: "Khắp - a unique cultural activity of the Thai people that needs to be promoted," "Rhyme in Thai folk poetry," and "Tay Tac - The earliest Thai group in Northwest Vietnam"...
Each literary and artistic work is the result of the tireless efforts, responsibility, and dedication of the team of writers and artists. These works make a significant contribution to the province's political agenda, enrich the cultural and spiritual life of the people, and help promote and introduce the image of Son La's homeland and people in the process of renovation, construction, and development.
Ngoc Thuan