Cultural traditions and musical expressions in Vietnam

Vietnam's diverse cultural landscape is reflected through its musical tributes to regional landscapes and long-standing spiritual rituals.

In Lao Cai, musicians are using song to express patriotism and honor the border region. Composers such as Pham Duc Loi, through works like ‘Tinh ca Lao Cai’, blend lyrical melodies with highland folk influences to depict the natural beauty of landmarks like Fansipan. Other works, such as Vu Dinh Trong’s ‘Nhung buoc chan giua nui rung Lao Cai’, utilize march rhythms to honor the sacrifices of security forces maintaining order in the mountainous terrain.

In the Bach Hac river junction, where the Red, Lo, and Da rivers converge, a unique spiritual tradition of collecting ‘sacred water’ persists. This ritual involves gathering water from the three distinct colored currents—red silt from the Red River, jade green from the Lo River, and dark tones from the Da River. The area, historically linked to the Van Lang state and the Hung Vuong era, is considered a spiritual coordinate centered around the Tam Giang Temple.