Perspectives on Heritage Tourism - Seameo-SPAFA

<strong>Perspectives</strong> on Heritage Tourism
<strong>Perspectives</strong> on Heritage Tourism
Nhã nhạc is a synthesis of instrumental music, vocal music, and dance
that, especially after its codification under the Nguyê˜n, profoundly
presented the concepts and aspirations of the feudal dynasties.
It was reserved for the royal courts, and was an indispensable
component of ritual ceremonies such as the Sacrifice Ceremony
to the Heaven and the Earth at Nam Giao Esplanade (Nam Giao
Sacrifice Ceremony), the sacrifice ceremonies at temples dedicated
to the deceased emperors and their ancestors, the Great Audience
Ceremony, Ordinary Audience Ceremony, etc.. In these ritual ceremonies,
court music 3 is considered as a means through which people
communicated with the world of the deities, and it was also seen as
a symbol of the royalty and, consequently, peace in the country.
The court music performers in Nam Giao ceremony, 1924
(extracted from the Nomination Dossier of Nhã nhạc-Vietnamese Court Music
to UNESCO in 2003, archived by Hue Monuments Conservation Center)
spiritual domain. After hundreds of years of being the locus of
monarchical rule, Hue became the convergence point of the
cultural features of Central Vietnam, where royal and folk cultures
interacted with each other. Among the remaining elements of royal
culture is Nhã nhạc, the court music of the former royal court of
Vietnam that originated under the Lý dynasty (1010-1225), and was
handed down to the Nguyê˜n dynasty as the national music.
In the golden period of the Nguyê˜n dynasty, approximately one
hundred different ritual ceremonies and festivities accompanied by
Nhã nhạc were held annually in the court, including anniversaries,
religious celebrations, coronations, funerals, and official receptions.
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The vocal music, or the song-texts of the court music, embodied different
meanings in accordance with the ceremony (National Historiographer’s
Office of Nguyen dynasty: Volume III, p. 220; Volume XXXIV, p. 141).
For instance, there were ten songs with ten song-texts played during the
Sacrifice Ceremony to the Heaven and the Earth at Nam Giao Esplanade,
named after the character Thanh (the accomplishment) in each song-text.
Similarly, song-texts of the sacrifice ceremony for the Gods of Ground and
Rice consisted of Phong character (good harvest) with seven musical pieces.
The sacrifice ceremonies held at temples dedicated to emperors and their
ancestors had seven song-texts which featured the Hoa character
(tranquility). The ceremony held at the temple of the former dynasties’
kings included six song-texts relating to the Huy character (the goodness).
The ceremony at the Temple of Confucius included six song-texts dedicated
to the Van character (literature). The Great Audiences had seven song-texts
including the Binh character (peace). The birthday anniversary had seven
song-texts including the Tho character (longevity). The music for Royal
banquets had five song-texts that featured the Phuc character (happiness),
etc..
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