Elderly people – nation’s culture treasure

Elderly people in Vietnam now account for about 10% of the population, and they hold important cultural and traditional values. Their roles in this aspect are highly praised by the Party and the State, reflected by the recent approval of the national programme for the elderly.

A Vietnamese saying goes “an old person is a treasure in the house”. The saying has captured the value of old people in the social life. In reality, Vietnamese elderly people have been pioneering in the movements to establish civilized lifestyles, households and villages. This is especially important in the context of the free lifestyle of young people.

The old artists are important in maintaining the traditional artistic values of our ancestors. Such artistic forms as Tuong (classical drama) Cheo (traditional opera) Cai Luong (reformed opera) etc., are threatened to be fading out, and many old artists are holding the essences of those artistic forms.

Take Tuong as an example. At a recent meeting in the central province of Binh Dinh, researchers and audience agreed that Tuong can survive if it holds on to its core value. The old artists posses such values, and can transfer such values to the young people. If this art form is to be recognised by UNESCO, it should be presented in its traditional form.

Recently, when Quan Ho (folk singing) was presented to UNESCO for recognition, people looked to its roots, to the main melodies and traditions. Over the years, the old artists have been the key to contribute to these searches. They have helped revived the art form, and are the key actors in their localities to lead the movement forward. It is widely agreed that to revitalize the traditional art forms, old artists play an important role, as they are the living artistic museums.

For intangible traditional assets, Vietnam currently has more than 200 categories of handicraft products, produced in thousands of handicraft villages. They have provided jobs for over 1.3 million people. The handicrafts are exported worldwide, and many of them have hundred of years of history.

Many old artists, considered as “golden hands” “silver hands” are the soul of traditional handicraft production. The young people have now been able to utilize the knowledge of their predecessors to produce higher quality products, while maintaining the souls of the products.

The old people also contribute to the development of health care through their understanding in traditional medicines. At a recent meeting on traditional oriental medicine, the majority of the participants were also members of the elderly people’s association. They have helped promote the use of traditional medicines in Vietnam.

The old people not only help maintain the traditions and culture, but also promote an advanced Vietnamese culture fully imbued with national identity.

(Source: Nhan Dan)