Gong culture area in the central highlands of Vietnam
The Gong cultural area in the central highlands of Vietnam ( Vietnamese Không gian văn hóa Cồng Chiêng Tây Nguyên ) comprises the entirety of the ritually performed music and dances of several Austro-Asian and Austronesian- speaking ethnic groups in the central mountainous region of Vietnam . A characteristic feature of the performances is the use of gongs . The traditional culture of the hill tribes is independent and differs from the Chinese-influenced culture of the Vietnamese . In 2005 it was included in the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO and has been on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2008 .
The mountain region includes the provinces Đắk Lắk , ôk Nông , Gia Lai , Kon Tum and Lâm Đồng . A total of five provinces and seventeen language communities are covered.
Closely related to daily life and the cycle of the seasons, the belief systems of the highland dwellers form a mystical world. The sounds of the gong are a preferred language for men to communicate with deities and the supernatural world , because behind every gong there is a deity that is more powerful the older the gong. Every family has at least one gong.
The way the gong is played varies from village to village, which is due to the fact that the diameters of the instruments vary between 25 and 80 cm. Between three and twelve gongs are used by the village ensemble. Arrangements and rhythms are in the context of the rite that is being celebrated. The sounds of the ox sacrificial rites differ from rites that are celebrated for the blessing of rice or mourning rites.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Espace de la culture des Gongs des Hauts Plateaux du Center (Patrimoine culturel immatériel de l'humanité) ( Memento des original of September 11, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Space of Gong Culture. UNESCO
