All about Hue in English

ARCHITECTURE OF THE ANCIENT CAPITAL OF HUE - VIETNAM NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND FOREIGN INFLUENCES

Hue used to be the Capital of the Nguyen dynasty, the last royal monarchy in the history of Vietnam. Although the city had undergone great sufferings in the period of modern time, it still maintains a quite original face of an ancient oriental town, the most visible aspect of which is the complex of royal constructions and tra***ional monuments built in romantic natural landscapes. The architecture of the Ancient Capital of Hue reflects deeply Vietnamese tra***ional soul. In 1993, the complex of Hue monuments was included in UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage. Since then, Hue - a cultural and tourist center of Vietnam - has become much more attractive to not only domestic and international visitors but also historians, architects and cultural researchers.

1 - HUE ANCIENT CAPITAL, A TYPICAL URBAN ARCHITECTURE OF VIETNAM.
Today in Vietnam, there are more than 200 cities of different sizes. In terms of history and culture however, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh city, and Hue are the most important. Although the Ancient City of Hue is much smaller than the former and the latter, it has its own historical and architectural qualities.

A. Brief on the history of Hue urban area''s establishment.
The name Hue (resulted from mispronunciation of the term Hoa) came into being in 1307, after the Champa king Jaya Sinhavarman III had given up present day Hue and DaNang to Vietnam to get married to a princess of the Tran dynasty (1225-1400). However, it was not until 1687 that Hue region was chosen by a Nguyen Lord to be the political center of Dang Trong (south of Vietnam). This political center was then turned to be the Capital of the whole country by the Tay Son dynasty (1778 - 1801).
At the beginning of the 19th century, Gia Long (1802 - 1819), the first Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty carried out a large scale planning and new construction, making Hue the Capital of the whole country. His successors, especially Emperor Minh Mang, also played and important part in the completion of Hue royal architectural system.
During colonial period, in 1875, the French set up a "European Quarter" on southern bank of the Huong River, opposite to the Royal Citadel of Hue.
After the abdication of Bao Dai, the last Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty in 1945, the role of national political center of Hue was taken over by Saigon (1945 - 1975) and Hanoi (from 1945 onwards). Nowadays, the Ancient Capital of Hue has been considered an important tourist and cultural center of Vietnam.
B. Architectural appearance of Hue in the old days and at present.
Through more than 3 centuries development, Hue urban construction was carried out in 3 different periods: the period of Monarchy (the Nguyen Loads and the Nguyen Emperors), the colonial period and the period of 1945 - 1997. Thus the city now consists of a variety of architectural types. The most exceptional value however, is of the complex of royal architecture.
a. Royal architecture.
The natural topographical features of Hue region such as Huong River and Ngu Binh Mount played very significant parts in Hue architecture, especially under monarchy''s period.
During the period of the Nguyen Lords in Dang Trong, the complex of Hue royal construction which consists of walls, palaces, mausoleums, temples.. was carried out on either sides of the Huong River. It faces south, taking Ngu Binh Mount as the royal Screen (to prevent evil impacts according to "Feng Shui"). However, at that time, this complex was still in small scale and located on only an island which was separate from the Huong River and one of its tributaries - Kim Long River.
Under the Nguyen Emperors'' period (1802 - 1945), together with several new constructions, the urban center of Hue was replanned and enlarged into the large scale and majestic city as we can see today. At the beginning of the 19th century, the city''s collection of buildings was placed coherently in a way much in accordance with oriental philosophies, especially "the Decree of God" of Confucius ideology.
At present, the main architectural types forming the appearance of the Ancient Capital of Hue are:
* Walls: Citadel, Imperial City, Forbidden Purple City.
* Royal palaces: hundreds of buildings where the Nguyen Court worked and lived.
Both these types of construction were built on northern bank of the Huong River.
*Mausoleums: Emperors'' Mausoleums were constructed on a hilly region, west of the city''s center. There are seven main royal tombs: Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri, Tu Duc, Duc Duc, Dong Khanh, Khai Dinh.
*Temples and shrines: Located scatterly in Hue region are Nam Giao, Esplanade, Temple of Literature, Temple of Military, Hon Chen Temple, Royal Arena. ...
b. Religious architecture.
Most of Hue population is devoted to Buddhism. In Hue region, there is a large number of celebrated pagodas built 4 centuries ago such as Thien Mu, Quoc An, Tuy Van... The Hue Buddhist pagodas really reflect sublime ideologies of Buddhism.
Catholicism came into being in Hue many centuries ago. Presently, the Ancient Capital of Hue still maintains a large number of old catholic churches such as Kim Long, Phu Cam, Phuong Duc.
In Hue region where there is a huge number of villages, each village has its own communal house, temple worshipping its founder, Buddhist pagodas, family or clan shrines.
The Hue people always attach importance to showing their respect for spiritual life. It is for this reason that religious structures and buildings serving tra***ional belief have been constructed in many palaces in the city.
c. Hue houses with garden.
The Ancient Capital of Hue is preserving a special type of architecture which is not available in other localities in Vietnam: Garden houses. They are wooden houses, elaborately carved and decorated, located in the middle of large gardens with beautiful bonsai and old trees'' all year round shadow. In terms of structure, the garden house itself is called "nha roi" (one chamber - house) or "nha ruong" (three chamber - house). A garden house of Hue usually consists of a main entrance, sub entrances, a screen at front yard, a rockery, a small aquarium... In ad***ion to the main building in the middle of the garden, there are several dwellings and a water well for daily use.
Hue garden houses used to be the living places of royal relatives, royal officials, elite families, poets and writers during the time when Hue was serving as the Capital of the whole country. Today in these houses, former owners are worshiped in the main building while their descendants are living in subordinate parts. It can be said that these garden houses is a link between royal architecture and folk one of the Ancient Capital of Hue.
d. European Quarter.
Through more than 80 years present in Hue (1875 - 1954), the French had constructed on southern bank of the Huong River a range of offices and villas of Western style such as French Governor''s Residence in An Nam (Central Vietnam), Morin Hotel, Post office, Hospital, Bank, Railway station, Quoc Hoc and Dong Khanh Highschools.. In other word, the French set up in Hue in that period a new architectural complex called "European Quarter" (Ville Europeenne). Also in that period, a commercial center called "Merchandise City" was established by the French. Ad***ionally in 1880s, due to too much pressure from the colonial rule, the Nguyen dynasty had to make concession of an area inside north-east part of the Citadel to the French. This area was then called "Concession land to the French" or Mang Ca Lon (Big Gills) Military Post. The French also erected a system of defensive wall *****rround this are.
e. Modern architecture
Since 1954, many new buildings have been constructed for social and economic life of Hue population such as Huong Giang Hotel, Century Hotel, Da Vien Water Tower, Phu Xuan Bridge, Hue Notre-Dame Cathedral, Huyen Khong Pagoda... On the other hand, some colonial buildings have been restored and renovated to meet the demand of modern life: Dong Ba market, Morin Hotel, Hue Hospital, Hue Financial Department.. The construction and the renovation of these buildings has been carried out according to the common architectural style applied by many countries. Some buildings however, are not sympathetic to the city''s ancient ambience and poetic landscape, particularly those which are located on the Huong River''s banks such as Huong Giang Hotel, Century Hotel, Dong Ba Market, Da Vien Water Tower...
In general, the Ancient Capital of Hue possesses a variety of architectural styles left by different historic times. It reflects the aesthetic standard and social economic activities of each period and at the same time, bringing out national architectural characteristics of Vietnam and foreign architectural influences. (to be continued)




TO BE OR NOT TO BE

2 - ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VIETNAM AND FOREIGN ARCHITECTURAL INFLUENCES.
Previously, there were some extremist observations on the architecture of the Nguyen dynasty, saying that it was just a copy of Chinese style or French style. These observations were not right. In fact, it is normal that mutual architectural influences between different countries occur. Further more, in its history, Vietnam was under the dominion of China for more than 1000 years (111BC - 938AD) and France for 80 years (1875 - 1954), thus the influences of Chinese and French architecture are unavoidable. However, Vietnamese architecture in general and Hue construction in particular, has its own style and characteristics.
A National archtectural characteristics of Vietnam and Hue architectural qualities
With an area of 329,000 kilometer square and the population of 75 millions, Vietnam has 54 different ethinic groups of which the Vietnamese (also called Kinh ethnic group) is dominant and concentrates in the country''''''''s plain. Vietnam territory consists of a variety of topographical types. The different housing structure and tomb''''''''s construction between ethnic communities are dependant on their geographical features and cultural influences (from China, France). With reference to Vietnamese architecture, its style differs according to living regions.
a. Vietnam national archtectural characteristics.
As one of Indochina peninsula countries which is located in the region of tropical climate, architectural characteristics of Vietnam can be pointed out as follows:
Building material: Light and locally-made such as bamboo, wood, thatch, stone, brick, tile, paint, terrecotta, lime have been used.
Buildings'''''''' direction: Hue historic buildings usually face south, which is in accordance with a famed saying "Get married to a woman, build south-facing house". In fact, buildings facing south can avoid cold wind from the north east in winter and enjoy fresh wind from the south in summer.
The harmony between archtecture and nature: Available sceneries are fully utilized to enhance the aesthetic value of constructions, or part of natural landscape would be adjusted in accordane with the architects "demands". This type of construction has been considered "Landscape architecture".
Vietnam architecture tends to represent Eastern philosophies and spiritural life. It was believed that the construction of both dwellings and graves would always be ruled over by supernatural powers.
b. Hue architectural qualities.
4000 years ago, Vietnam was established in its present-day northern part. During the process of expanding the country''''''''s territory further southwards from the 11th century to the 18th century, the Vietnames continously came and settled along the stretch of plain and coast of central and southern Vietnam. On this newly-created land, Truong Son mountain''''''''s branches wich projected to the ocean formed several sub-regions of different climate and torography. Together with the historic context of many periods, such natural geographical factors resulted in architectural similarity and difference between the regions as well as in Hue architectural qualities.
The royal town constructed during the Monarchy''''''''s period has always been the core in Hue urban planning. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, it had always been the center part of Hue region. Although there was an interference between royal and folk architecture in terms of structure, decoration and disposition, the later is considered secondary to the former.
It can be said that "the landscape architecture" has reached its highest level in Hue in Vietnam architectural history. Hue architecture tends to be OPEN. The construction itself is not big, however, its ambience is likely to be enlarged by a river, a mountain, a plot of grass. The buildings'''''''' surrounding geopraphical entities have been fully utilized, supernaturalized to become their dependent elements. This has resulted in people awareness for protecting Hue natural poetic environment.
Hue architecture is a combination of urban construction and countryside basics. The urban center of Hue was built at Phu Xuan village (1687) and then enlarged in the occupied territory of 7 other villages. After the citadel''''''''s completion in 1832, tens of wards were established spontaneously inside its area. The administrative system and social activities of these wards were similar to these of rural villages. Their presence was tolerated by the Nguyen dynasty. Till now, inside the Citadel''''''''s area, there are still several groups relying on argriculture. They carry out activities such as vegetable planting, rice cultivation, stock farming ... as in past times.
In terms of architectural struture and deoration of Hue royal palaces, many improvements can be seen in comparison with those of other localities in Vietnam. The Ancient Capital of Hue is the place where flood and storm occur yearly. It is for this reason that the palaces'''''''' foundation and roof had to be erected properly in order to avoid such natural disasters. It can be seen that in order to enhance the position of the palaces, an optical illusion in their height was created by dividing their roof into 2 or 3 parts horizontally and building their penthouse''''''''s columns into the yard surface, instead of the foundation. The palaces'''''''' roof fringe is straight and the roof corner is not as curved as that of Northern temples an pagodas. As far as the structure is concerned, the Hue palace is a compound constructuion of which the front and the back chamber are connected by the middle ceiling system, forming spacious and solemn interior space of the palace. Interior and exterior decorations were done according to "Nhất thi nhất họa" (one picture, one painting) motif. This decorative motif is not available in other localities in Vietnam.
Hue, the city of garden: Unlike other towns of Vietnam, the Ancient Capital of Hue is the unique one that still maintains its natural greenary. This green environment includes a large number of gardens located adjacently to living, religious structures. In ad***ion to the park system on either sides of the Huong River, Hue has been considered the city of garden owing to its garden houses, garden pagodas, garden palaces and garden mausoleums.
The above-mentioned qualities have created a special face of Hue architecture in terms of aesthetics. However, some foreign-integrated architectural elements can be found.
b. Foreign architectural influences.
It is natural that Vietnam architecture has absorbed foreign influences, especially under Chinese and French periods. Hue - the former cultural and political center of Vietnam - is the same. The city''''''''s construction more or less has been subject to many foreign architectural influences, from both China and the West.
1. Chinese architectural influences
In cultural activities in general and in Hue architecture in particular, the influences of Chinese Confucius philosophy can be seen clearly. The most visible influence from Chinese philosophies is the use of the theory of "Book of Changes", "Feng Shui" and decorative motifs.
The theory of "Book of Changes" and "Feng Shui"
For both common people and royal elite groups in the old days, when constructing a wall, a palace, a pagoda, a house..., they had to apply theory of "Book of Changes" and "Feng Shui" such as the choice of building site, good construction day, directions, the utilization of natural geographical entities...Normally, these were the responsibility of geomancers who would use an instrument called "La Kinh" (geomantic compass). Many Eastern philosophies and "Feng Shui" practices were applied to the complex of Hue buildings such as theories of "Yin and Yang", "Five Happinesses", "Three Abundances"... This appplication of ancient philosophies can be seen at the construction of Hue Citadel. It faces the south, taking Ngu Binh Mount as the Royal Screen. There are two small islands on the Huong River" Clear House" playing the roles of Left Dragon and Right Tiger...
Decorative motifs on Hue tra***ional architectural structures.
Most of Hue historic buildings such as royal palaces, pagodas, mausoleums are decorated with Chinese ancient motifs. For instance: Four Seasons (represented by apricot, lotus, chrysenthemum, willow), Four Sacred Animals (dragon, griffin, turtle, phoenix), two dragons fighting for a pearl...Such decorative motifs can be seen both on interior and exterior decorations of the buildings and artifacts made of wood, terracotta, metal, cloth, paper...
2. French architectural influences
Western culture came to Vietnam in general and to Hue in particular from the 17th century through Catholic bishops'''''''' propagation. During the period of the Nguyen Lords (1558-1775) in Hue region, some catholic churches were built. However, it was until the period of the Nguyen Emperors that many constructions became strongly influenced by Western architectural styles.
The Hue Citadel was built after the Vauban model
Vauban is the name of a French engineer (1633-1707), owing to his expertise in military architecture, he was appointed to be Marshal and member of the French Academy in 1699. Under Emperor Louis XIV period, Mr. Vauban was in charge of constructing hundreds of strongholds and fortresses to defend his country. It was him who created the military construction type called "fortified city" or "inalienable city". In Vietnam, after winning over the Tay Son dynasty and coming into contact with some French specialists in military construction such as Colonel Olivier de Puymanel, engineer Lebrun...Gia Long was the first Emperor in the Far-East who applied the Vauban model to the construction of the country''''''''s strongholds. For instance: Gia Long Citadel (1790), Hue Citadel (1805) which is the most important construction of the Nguyen dynasty.
The Vauban model is a complex of defensive construction which includes ramparts, bastions, embrasure, walls of shooting, "berme" (the stretch of land running along the citadel''''''''s base), moats, "glacis" (the stretch of land linking outer bank of the moat and inner bank of the defensive river). These can be seen at present Citadel site of Hue. They also can be seen at Tran Hai Citadel in Thuan An district.
Other Western architectural influences
Apart from the European Quarter and the French military buildings at "Concession Land to the French", in the first decades of the 20th century, many offices and villas were built by the French. In Hue, the French architectural influences reached its highest level under the period of Khai Dinh Emperor (1916-1925) who paid a visit to France in 1922 and Bao Dai (1926-1945) who studied in France for 10 years (1922-1932). In "The fine arts of Vietnam", its author - Mr. Louis Bezacier - suggests that under the period of Khai Dinh, fine arts in general and architecture in particular was "new-classical". This observation can be reflected by several typical buildings constructed during that time such as An Dinh Residence, Khai Dinh Mausoleum, an electricity system, iron gates, a lighting conductor have existed since its completion in 1931.
Ad***ionally, at some Hue historic buildings, Indian architectural elements are also visible, for example the two obelisks in Khai Dinh Mausoleum and on Buddhist graves...
In brief, the most basic outlines of Hue urban appearance were established in the 17th century, replanned and enlarged in large scale in the 19th century under the Nguyen Emperors'''''''' period. Vietnamese architects at that time did combine the inherited tra***ion arts with Chinese ancient philosophies in the construction of Hue. At the same time, they also applied the French "fortified city" style harmoniously to Hue region topography. Since the colonial period, with social-economic and population development of the town, many constructions have been carried out.
Despite the fact that there are considerable errors in design and position of some new buildings, especially those which are located along the Huong River''''''''s banks and the degrading of some ancient monuments (due to the local climate extremities and former wars), the Hue "landscape architecture "heritage has been well preserved. The city natural environment has not been damaged as seriously as in other localities in Vietnam and the world. During his trip to Hue in 1981, Mr. A.M.M. '''''''' Bow, former General Secretary of UNESCO regarded Hue as "a masterpiece of urban poetry". In 1993, in its annual meeting, the World Heritage Committee complimented that "The complex of Hue monuments...was built at the beginning of the 19th century in line with Eastern philosophies and Vietnamese tra***ion. Its melding with the natural environment, the beauty of the exceptional architecture and decorated buildings are a unique reflection of the old Vietnamese Empire at its height". Thus, it can be said that Hue architecture has its own characteristics and human values. At present, the architecture heritage of Hue is being financially invested by Vietnamese government and international community to be better preserved and enhanced.
PHAN THUAN AN
Translated by Nguyen Van Hue

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

Được duongphuongbay sửa chữa / chuyển vào 14:15 ngày 07/03/2004
Được duongphuongbay sửa chữa / chuyển vào 23:54 ngày 07/03/2004

HUE, CITY OF DREAMS
The bus to Hue leaves from the Hanoi Tourism Service Company office in Luong Van Can street a 8.00pm. There are only a few other Vietnamese passengers. Most are foreign tourists from various countries, many of them from France. The ancient capital is a priority destination for French visitors to Vietnam who account for nearly 30 per cent of all foreign visitors to Hue.
This will be my first trip to Hue. I''''m excited because I''''ve read a lot about the city of romance and long dreamed of visiting. Now it''''s just I3 hours away. But I''''m also feeling a little anxious.
My old girlfriend lives in Hue and I want to see , again. We spent two years together at the same college in Hanoi, but that was six years ago. Even today I still don''''t understand why we separated. Maybe we were just too young. She returned to her home town and I haven''''t seen her since.
Sitting near me are two French girls studying their Lonely Planet guidebook. Lorier and her friend have spent two weeks in Hanoi and several other destinations in the north and are now travelling to Hue before returning to France.
"Before my trip I was afraid Hanoi might have become a modern Western-style city since I was last there," Lorier says. And the Hanoi of 2002 is not the same as it was in I993. New hotels and restaurants have appeared and much has changed.
"I noticed the streets have become more crowded and dirty because there are so many motorcycles and so much construction going on. But overall, Hanoi is still itself The-old French-style architecture is still there," she adds.
Lorier tells me how young people in France have become machines obsessed about losing their jobs. "It''''s funny," she says. "You are moving towards a modern lifestyle and values like ours while we are trying to discover yours."
After a long night on the road we arrive in Hue at 9.00am. The Perfume river appears as a blue silk thread under the bright sun. Its water is wonderfully clean, and such a contrast to the half dozen badly polluted rivers in Hanoi which are now just open channels for wastewater.
Hue is surely the most beautiful city in the country. The I3 emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last feudal rulers of Vietnam, reigned here from I802 to I945. The remains of the Citadel and the splendid tombs of the Nguyen emperors are the main attractions of Hue.
The imperial city is preparing for the Hue Festival 2002 to be held in May. This is not only the biggest event of the year for Hue but also for Vietnam''''s entire tourism industry. In recent months, programmes have been appearing on television, in local papers and on the Internet advertising the event. City authorities are trying to gain national recognition for Hue as the festival city. But there''''s lots to be done. The streets are dusty because of construction, and a project to build a sewage system has been delayed because of technical problems. Lack of hotels and direct international flights are other major constraints.
Inside the Citadel people live peaceful lives. Their houses look just as they did decades ago. But the areas on the other side of the Perfume river look more modern, just like any other newly emerging tourist city in Vietnam. Internet shops, cafes, fast food outlets and bicycles rental places occupy most main street frontages.
"This is just external. Hue people still maintain the same characteristics as their ancestors did two centuries ago, II says Nguyen Quoc Thanh, director of Thuan Hoa hotel, situated on Nguyen Tri Phuong street. "Tra***ional family values are strictly adhered to. It''''s because we are residents of the ancient capital and have many rules to abide by," Thanh adds.
This was demonstrated to me when I noticed a group of well-dressed young people aged around twenty, all sitting on the pavement drinking. A beautiful girl was participating in the general high-jinks when suddenly an old man on a motorbike stopped nearby and shouted at her, telling her to go home and scolding her for creating a poor image of Hue for visitors. You also hear very little swearing and cursing in the streets, and Hue is a very safe city for foreign tourists.
Like the directors of other hotels in the city, Thanh welcomes the Hue festival as a golden opportunity to boost tourism and enhance Hue''''s image. He says he had to upgrade his hotel, which was severely affected by the big flood in I999, to meet increased demand during the event. The Thuan Hoa is one of the few hotels in Hue which offer cheap rooms for foreign backpackers.
Hue shuts down for the night much earlier than most tourist cities. By 9.00pm the streets were almost empty. A cyclo driver persuaded me to go to a "very cool place to taste Hue". I agreed and he took me to the banks of the river where several girls were standing under the shadow of old trees. Wooden boats illuminated by candlelight were waiting nearby. But I was suddenly overwhelmed by nameless sorrows and decided to return to the hotel. Although it was just 10.00pm the hotel''''s dancing bar, the only discotheque in Hue, was already closed.
As it happens I didn''''t get to meet the old girlfriend. I went to her old address but her mother told me she was married and had moved away. I didn''''t try to find her. What would have been the point? To love and marry a girl from Hue is every Vietnamese man''''s dream, but I''''d lost my chance.
(By Tu Giang, www.elephantguide.com )

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

Được duongphuongbay sửa chữa / chuyển vào 23:49 ngày 07/03/2004

Huế đâu có nhiều người rành tiếng Anh đâu bác ơi...
thui,tui tiện thể luyện tiếng Anh,ngồi dịch vậy...
ba tui cứ la hoài,bảo học tiếng Anh dốt...phải tập cái đã...vừa tra từ điển vừa dịch cho vui...
ở box Quảng Trị có topic học tiếng Anh,sao Huế ko có nhẩy!!
bà con box Huế mỗi người dịch 1 khúc cho vui ha!
đừng bảo tui chảnh choẹ nhé,tui cũng tra từ điển tè le đây...
------------------------------------------Bắt đầu----------------------------------------
ARCHITECTURE OF THE ANCIENT CAPITAL OF HUE - VIETNAM NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND FOREIGN INFLUENCES
Hue used to be the Capital of the Nguyen dynasty, the last royal monarchy in the history of Vietnam. Although the city had undergone great sufferings in the period of modern time, it still maintains a quite original face of an ancient oriental town, the most visible aspect of which is the complex of royal constructions and tra***ional monuments built in romantic natural landscapes. The architecture of the Ancient Capital of Hue reflects deeply Vietnamese tra***ional soul. In 1993, the complex of Hue monuments was included in UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage. Since then, Hue - a cultural and tourist center of Vietnam - has become much more attractive to not only domestic and international visitors but also historians, architects and cultural researchers.
Kiến trúc kinh đô cổ Huế-Nét đặc trưng quốc gia Việt Nam và những ảnh hưởng nước ngoài
Huế từng là kinh đô của triều Nguyễn,nền quân chủ hoàng tộc cuối cùng của lịch sử Việt Nam. Mặc dầu thành phố đã phải chịu đựng những sự mất mát to lớn trong giai đoạn lịch sử hiện đại,Huế vẫn giữ được bộ mặt bản chất của 1 thành phố cổ Đông Phương,mà rõ ràng nhất đó là sự phức tạp của những công trình vua chúa và những công trình kỉ niệm truyền thống được xây dựng trong hững khung cảnh tự nhiên lãng mạn...
Kiến trúc kinh đô cổ đã phản ánh mãnh nỗi đau truyền thống Việt Nam. Vào năm 1993,những công trình kỉ niệm Huế đã được đưa vào danh sách UNESCO của Di Sản Văn Hoá Thế Giới. Kể từ đó,Huế-một trung tâm văn hoá và du lịch của Việt Nam-đã trở thành lôi cuốn hơn nhiều đối với không chỉ khách trong nước và nước ngoài mà cả những nhà sử gia,kiến trúc sư và những nhà tìm kiếm các nền văn hoá...
Từ mới :
dynasty: triều đại
monarchy: nền quân chủ
oriental: Đông Phương
aspect: bề mặt,phương diện
monuments: công trình kỉ niệm
World Cultural Heritage: Di Sản Văn Hoá Thế Giới
domestic: thuộc về trong nước .vd: domestic visitors
---------------------------------------Hết-------------------------------------
hix,dịch ngang đó mà mất phải 15'''''''' rùi,hix...tiếng ANh cũng kém,dịch sang tiếng việt nói cho hay cũng kém nốt!1h đêm rùi,đi ngủ đã...
Được KIENHSG sửa chữa / chuyển vào 08:12 ngày 08/03/2004
Được KIENHSG sửa chữa / chuyển vào 08:14 ngày 08/03/2004

Hue chamber orchestra (Nhạc thính phòng Huế)

Hue is an ancient Capital City of Vietnam through more than 150 years. Nowadays by the side of architectures, temples, shrines original mausoleums which harmoniously appear amid poetic landscapes of the Perfume river, the Royal mountain, remains a type of music the characteristic of this land of the ancient Capital. That is Hue Chamber music, normally called the music of Hue, including two sorts: Vocal and instrumental music.
Hue music had an age-old history. But there have not been any precise historical documents so far, from which we could know the time of its birth and the authors of Hue music. Until the 19th century when the Nguyen dynasty unified and governed the whole country, it was just the time of favorable con***ions for Hue music to develop. The instrumentalists were all virtuosos who played skillfully in the Royal orchestra of the Court. A part from carrying out the works in the court, along with their pupils, the instrumentalists made repertoires of musical pieces and based on performing techniques in the royal music to compose ensembles and solos. Their music was highly beloved of all the princes, princesses and the mandarins in the Court as well. Therefore, princes and princesses used to invite the singers and the instrumentalists to their private residences so as to teach them how to play the instruments and at the same time, they played and sang together, and enjoyed the music. At the beginning of the 20th century, Hue music developed to the utmost. But from after 1945, it has gradually died down. Today Hue music has become a valuable heritage, which has been preserved and given favorable con***ions to be restored by the State.
The musical instruments in Hue orchestra are Nguyet, Nhi, Tranh, Ty ba, Bau, Sao forming various kinds of ensembles and an accompaniment to the singing. The present kinds normally seen are:
-Ensembles of two instruments: Tranh, Nguyet; Tranh, Bau; Nhi, Bau; Nhi, Ty ba ; or Bau, Nguyet.
-Ensembles of three instruments: Nguyet, Nhi, Tranh; Bau, Nhi, Tranh ; or Ty Ba, Nguyet, Tranh.
-Ensembles of four instruments: Bau, Nhi, Tranh, Nguyet ; or Nhi, Ty ba, Nguyet, Sao.
-Ensembles of five instruments: Nhi, Nguyet, Tranh, Ty ba, Sao.
Especially, the singer also plays a pair of clappers to mark time. The clappers sound and harmonize well with the ensemble bringing about more clearly the original sonority of Hue music. Faculties of musical instruments played in Hue music
1. Tranh (sixteen- stringed zither) is a plucking stringed instrument with 16 strings. It structure is a long-shaped box, approximately 110cm. One of the two heads is large, around 22cm, the other is narrower around 15cm. The bottom is even with a rectangular hole through which the air exits. The upper surface is made of light, spongy, raw curved wood. The two sides are 7cm to 8cm in height. On the surface of the large end, there is an arch made of metal and lies horizontally to the surface on which there are 16 small holes. At the narrow end, 16 tuning pegs are obliquely arranged. The strings are hooked from the holes on the arch to the tuning pegs. In the middle of the surface, there are 16 rectangle bridges (called swallows) which are made of wood, bone or ivory. The tops of the rectangle bridges are covered with copper over which strings are laid so as to be able to move and adjust the pitches of the strings. The bridges adjust the tuning to the pentatonic scale, namely the North air with range Do Re Fa Sol La Do, or the South air with range Do Mib Fa Sol Sib Do. These are two basic modes of the Hue music. Instrumentalist sits when playing, his/her right hand plucks the instrument string(s) while his/her left hand presses the strings. Tranh has high pitches which are clear and delightful.
2. Nguyet (also called Kim or moon-shaped lute) is a plucking stringed instrument with two strings. The body of Nguyet is a flat cylinder with a long neck. The surface is round and equal. It''''s called Nguyet due to its round and equal shape to be compared with the full moon. The surface is approximately 36cm, the side around 6cm. On the surface is attached a bridge on which strings are laid. The neck is made of hard wood approximate 100cm. There are 7 frets on the neck and 3 other frets on the surface. The frets are attached on unequal distances. There are 4 wooden pegs on the upper end of the neck, the two of which are hooked with strings and functioned as tuning pegs, while the rest are for equilibrium decoration, which please the eyes. The strings were previously made of silk thread, today they have been replaced by nylon. One is big, one is small, and the two strings are tuned to a fifth. The frets are laid to the pentatonic scale, i.e. on the Do string: Do-Re-Fa-Sol-La-Do-Re-Fa-Sol-La; on the Sol string: Sol-La-Do-Re-Mi-Sol-La-Do-Re-Mi.
Instrumentalist sits while playing, his right hand plucks the strings with his own fingers-nails or with a plastic plectrum. Meanwhile, his left hand presses the fret(s) to make vibration and trill effects. Nguyet produces warm, bright and bustling sounds.
3. Nhi (also called Co or fiddle) is a bow musical instrument with 2 strings. It consists of a neck and a sound box. The neck is made of hard wood, without any frets, long approximately 70cm to 80cm. The lower end pierces through the sound box. The upper end which is a bit facing backward, and has 2 tuning pegs. The sound box is a round cylinder, made of hard wood, a bit narrower at the bottom. The surface is covered with python or snake skin. The diameter of the surface is around 15cm, above it is a bridge. The strings were previously made of silk threads which are nowadays replaced by metal strings. The bow is made of a bent bamboo rod or a long wooden bar with a curved end on which horsehair is hung. The horsehair of the bow is put between the two strings. Nhi is tuned to a fifth i.e. Do-Sol or Fa-Do.
Instrumentalist sits while playing. His right hand holds the bow while his left hand press the strings with various techniques such as vibrate, accent, trill and appogiatura, mordent, and glissando. Sounds of Nhi are passionate, ardent and expressive.
4. Ty ba (or pear-shaped lute) is a plucking chordophonic instrument with four strings. It consists of a sound box and a neck. The sound box has shape of half a vertically cut pear. The even and undecorated surface is made of light spongy wood. The back of the sound box is convex and made of hard wood. On the surface, there is a part on which strings are hooked and 8 frets. The neck is short, attached to the sound box. In former time, there used to be no frets but nowadays there are four frets. At the upper part of the neck, there are four tuning pegs. Strings used to be made of silk threads, nowadays replaced by nylon. Ty ba is tuned by relations of intervals such as a fourth, a second, and a fourth. For instance, Do-Fa-Sol-Do.
Instrumentalist sits while playing, his right hand plucks the strings with his own fingers-nails or with a plastic plectrum. Meanwhile, his left hand presses the fret(s) to make vibration, trill and glissando effects. Ty ba produces warm and dull timbres.
5. Bau (also called monochord) belongs to the chordophonic family with the only string. Its structure is very original. Body is a long box with one end smaller than the other. Sides are made of hard wood. The surface and the bottom are made of light wood. Surface is a bit convex. There are two sound holes at the bottom. The body is made of a bottom-cut dry gourd or wooden gourd-shaped part. The spout is made of bamboo or ivory, which gets through the gourd down to the body. There is a wooden or metal tuning pegs at the end. The string is fastened down to the spout and passes across the bell-mouthed gourd, and stretches obliquely to the end of the long box. The strings, in former times, used to be made of sick thread, nowadays they are replaced by metal. A plectrum stick is made of pointed- sharpened bamboo or rattan.
Instrumentalist sits while playing, his right hand holds the plectrum, and his left hand holds the gourd. Plucking at any points of open string will give a common pitch that is known as a natural tone. Therefore, people mark key points or plucking points on the surface. When playing Bau, the instrumentalist lightly touches such key points with edge of his/her right hand'''' s palm and immediately releases after plucking. When the instrumentalist''''s right palm touches at appropriate distance with the plucking points, the string will certainly produce sounds of various pitches depending positions that the instrumentalist'''' right palm touched. These given tones are called overtones. Well combination of the right hand which plucks and the left hand which holds and controls the spout will make the string elastic, thus tense and loose at times, consequently giving higher or lower tones at desire. Bau''''s timbres are sweet, sonorous, which almost resemble Vietnamese accent.
6. Sao (flute) is a transversal aerophonic instrument. It is made of a phyllostachys-pipe (kind of bamboo) or a neohouzeaua-pipe, with a diameter of 1.5 to 2 cm, its length is 30-40cm. One end has a knot or is stopped up. The transversal flute has an oval blowing hole on the left while on the right are 6 round finger holes. Nowadays has seen variations to the flute giving up to 10 finger holes so as to play various tonalities.
When performing, flutist uses his/her two thumbs *****pport the flute and places his other fingers at finger holes while directing the flute to the right side and blowing. Blowing techniques include air glissando, air accent, air vibration and so on. Fingering techniques consist of glissando, sliding, appogiatura, and so on. Flute''''s timbres are smooth, strong, limpid and lively.
(From: http://vn-style.com )

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

Được duongphuongbay sửa chữa / chuyển vào 00:11 ngày 08/03/2004

Huế and Tài Tử Music of Viet Nam:
The Concept of Music and Social Organisation of Musicians by Lê Tuấn Hùng
Nhạc Huế [Huế music] and nhạc tài tử [tài tử music] are the two genres of chamber music, which originated and flourished in Huế (Central Vietnam) and Southern Vietnam, respectively. The concept of music and the social organisation of musicians in these two tra***ions present a mixture of indigenous and Chinese aspects. While the indigenous elements form the core of the tra***ion, Chinese elements were grafted onto indigenous ones for socio-cultural reasons. This study presents an examination of theoretical and social aspects of the music of these two tra***ions.
Indigenous Concept of Music in Huế and Tài Tử Tra***ions
The indigenous concept of music as a means for emotional expression played an important part in the formation of various intra- and extra-musical features of Huế and tài tử music. This concept of music underlined many musical tra***ions of Vietnam, and was noted in various pre-twentieth century general studies of music. In his Vân Ðài Loại Ngữ [Writings Compiled at the Dais of Clouds] (1773), Lê Quí Ðôn stated that "sounds reflect the inner feelings of man; words describe the objects and phenomena in man''s world" (1972:37). This concept is also exemplified in the works of many Vietnamese writers and poets of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. These writers tended to associate instrumental music and đàn tranh music with certain emotional states. Various examples of such associations appear in well-known verse narratives such as Chinh Phụ Ngâm Khúc [Chant of a Soldier''s Wife] by Ðặng Trần Côn and Ðoàn Thị Ðiểm, Cung Oán Ngâm Khúc [Distressed Chant in the Royal Palace] by Nguyễn Gia Thiều, and Ðoạn Trường Tân Thanh [New Verse of the Broken-hearted] by Nguyễn Du.
In the Distressed Chant in the Royal Palace, Nguyễn Gia Thiều (1741-1798) associated the sound of instrumental music and the emotion as follows (1950:45):
Càng đàn càng địch càng mê,
Càng gay gắt điệu, càng tê tái lòng.
The more [she] plays the stringed instrument or the flute, the more [she] is possessed by the sounds
As the dissonance of the music increases, so does the deep sadness in [her] heart...
Nguyễn Du (1765-1813) described the emotional force of the music played by Thúy Kiều in his Ðoạn Trường Tân Thanh as follows (1925:181):
Một cung gió tủi mưa sầu,
Bốn dây nhỏ máu năm đầu ngón tay....
A single tone embodies winds of distress and rains of sadness,
[The sounds emerge] as if the fingertips were bleeding on the four strings...
The concept of music as a means of personal expression has prevailed in the process of making and appreciating music among Huế and tài tử musicians and audiences. Huế and tài tử musicians always use emotional terms such as sadness, happiness, joyfulness and tranquility in their descriptions of the extra-musical characteristics of classical pieces. Nguyễn Văn Kỳ, one of the great đàn tranh masters of the tài tử tra***ion in the first half of this century, also asserted that the sound of music has the power to affect the "soul and heart" of man (1956:31). Writings on Huế and tài tử music by non-musicians reflect the same tendency to associate music and emotions (Dương Quảng Hàm 1968:138; Toan Ánh 1985: 31, 59).
The design of the modes and the skeletal nature of Huế and tài tử compositions which allow performers to add individual touches in the performing process appear to correlate with this concept. In fact, each mode in Huế and tài tử music is associated with a specific emotion as follows:
Huế music
Modal systems /Emotional association
Khách /Happiness
Thiền /Solemnity
Xuân /Tranquility
Ai /Sadness,melancholy
Tài tử music
Modal systems/ Emotional association
Bắc/ Happiness, gaiety
Hạ / Solemnity, reverence
Xuân / Tranquility, serenity
Ai and Oán / Sadness, melancholy
These extra-musical meanings generate from a set of technical conventions related to tonal material, melodic construction, the use of ornaments, and the tempo of the music. By applying these conventions in music making, performers can evoke a recognisable emotion associated with a specific mode. Psychologically, the association of these musical aspects with emotion is somehow codified in the mind of listeners familiar with Huế and tài tử music.
Huế and tài tử musicians also classified pieces in their classical repertory according to mode and emotional association. In Huế music there are two groups of pieces called bài khách [pieces in the khách category] and bài nam [pieces in the nam category]. The khách group consists of pieces in khách and thiền modes. The nam group consists of pieces in xuân, ai, and other mixed systems. In Southern Vietnam tài tử musicians divided the twenty principal pieces of their repertory into four groups called sáu bắc [six pieces in bắc mode], ba nam [three pieces in the nam category], bốn oán [four pieces in oán mode] and bảy bài lớn [seven pieces in the hạ mode].
In the performance of Huế and tài tử music, performers make a significant contribution to the final shape of the piece of music through improvisation on and elaboration of pre-existing melodies. A piece of Huế and tài tử music provides performers with a melodic framework only. To play a piece, performers have to elaborate its framework in their personal style. Such a practice certainly derives from the concept of music as a means of expressing personal feelings.
Social Organisation of Musicians
The concept of music as a means to express personal emotion could have been the reason why Huế and tài tử musicians kept performances in small private venues. In fact, the majority of Huế and tài tử musicians have only provided private entertainment for small audiences. Both performers and listeners belonged to an intimate circle, including members of a family, close friends and colleagues. These performers formed small groups of their own and gave performances at their own houses or on small private boats along the river on moonlit nights. Huế and tài tử musicians also played alone (that is, without the presence of an audience) for their own enjoyment.
This practice of keeping performances private prevented Huế and tài tử music from being commercialised. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, few Huế and tài tử musicians were professionals. In Huế, they were either the members of the royal family such as princes, princess, and lords or mandarins and their families (Hoàng Yến 1921a: 384-386). Other performers were members of rich, well-educated families who did not have to make a living by playing music (Hoàng Yến 1921a: 384-386). This explains why Huế music was regarded as a type of quan nhạc [music for mandarins]. Until the early decades of this century, Huế music still maintained its social prestige as "noble music" (Le Bris 1927: 142). In southern Vietnam, performers of tài tử music could be merchants, landlords, scholars, teachers, government officers, or members of rich and well-educated families [1].
Two other social factors could have also motivated non-professional activities among Huế and tài tử musicians. Before the influx of Western culture in the twentieth century, the Vietnamese did not hold favourable attitudes towards professional entertainers and musicians. Professional musicians had a very low social status. Laws discriminated against professional musicians between 1462 and 1706. Professional musicians and their descendants were banned from doing civil examinations (Ðỗ Bằng Ðoàn 1962:57-58). The National Dynasty''s Penal Laws also imposed penalties on mandarins and their descendants who married professional singers (Ðỗ Bằng Ðoàn 1962:57).
These attitudes arose from the common belief that professional musicians had immoral life-styles. The popular saying "xướng ca vô loại" [singing is immoral] was often applied to the musical profession. The fact that a number of female singers in the ca trù tra***ion were also prostitutes may have been the reason for this belief. Therefore, the option of making a living as a professional artist was not taken up by Huế and tài tử musicians, especially those who wished to retain respectability.
In ad***ion, Vietnamese professions were not highly compartmentalised before the twentieth century. Indeed, it was not uncommon for a person to work as a professional in one field and a highly skilled amateur in another, especially in the arts. For example, a scholar would often double as an amateur poet, musician and/or doctor, or a farmer would double as an amateur craftsman or musician. As a result, opportunities for patronage and commercial activities in many artistic fields, including literature, poetry, and music, were few. This socio-cultural environment was certainly an important factor behind the tendency towards non-professionalism among Huế and tài tử musicians.
Apart from the indigenous concepts and practices discussed above, Huế and tài tử musicians of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries borrowed a number of extra-musical aspects from China. The pro-Chinese policy of the Nguyễn kings between 1802 and 1883 and the promotion of Confucian ideals as a symbol of patriotism by the anti-colonial movement between 1884 and 1905 were the main motivations behind the decision of Huế and tài tử musicians to borrow Chinese extra-musical features.
Chinese Extra-musical Features in Huế and Tài Tử Music[/size=3]
Aspects of Chinese culture were first introduced into Vietnam during periods of Chinese occupation between 43 and 938 A.D. However, the extent to which the Vietnamese accepted aspects of Chinese culture before the tenth century is not known. Recent studies of Vietnamese society in the eleventh century indicate that its socio-political activities were based on indigenous rather than Chinese patterns (Whitmore 1990:117-138, Taylor 1990:139-176). Between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Vietnamese monarchies began to adopt Chinese, especially Confucian, ideals as the principal guidelines for social, cultural and political activities. The organisation of Vietnam''s government and system of education were closely modeled on its Chinese counterparts. In ad***ion, the Vietnamese monarchies adopted Chinese as the official written language for all government documents and communications. Only the Hồ dynasty (1400-1407) and the Tây Sơn dynasty (1788-1801) promoted the use of Vietnamese script chữ Nôm as the official written language [2]. As a result of these policies, Chinese language and Confucian values were highly respected among the Vietnamese elite and literati.
This socio-cultural trend was further intensified by the pro-Chinese, anti-Western policy of the Nguyễn kings between 1802 and 1883. Apart from re-establishing Chinese as the official written language and developing the system of Confucian education, the Nguyễn kings also promoted the strict application of Confucian social practices. The severe restriction placed on women?Ts rights was one example of this policy. According to ancient custom, Vietnamese women were entitled to a number of rights afforded by their male counterparts. Equality was recognised in the Hồng Ðức Code of the Lê dynasty (1428-1788) (Duiker 1983:119) [3] but was abandoned under the Nguyễn dynasty. The Nguyễn kings also implemented an anti-Western policy in order to protect the Vietnamese Confucian culture from being "corrupted" by the influx of Western ideals. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, European Catholic missionaries began their activities in Vietnam and were welcomed by the Vietnamese authorities (Phạm Văn Sơn 1971:16 and 21-25). The Portuguese, Dutch, French and British established trading contact with the Vietnamese during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. However, from the establishment of the Nguyễn dynasty in 1802 Western values were considered to be a threat to the Confucian culture of Vietnam. King Gia Long (d.1819) and King Minh Mạng (d. 1840) turned down every request to establish trading agreements between Vietnam and France, Britain and the United States. Between 1820 and 1855, the Nguyễn kings took extreme actions against the Catholic missionaries and the Vietnamese Catholic Church. European missionaries, Catholic believers and all those who abetted them were arrested and executed. Furthermore, the Nguyễn kings rejected or ignored every proposal made by Vietnamese mandarins and scholars who had studied or traveled abroad to adopt Western science, technology, and Western industrial and commercial systems (Phạm Văn Sơn 1971:55-56).
The anti-Western, pro-Chinese policies of the Nguyễn dynasty motivated a pro-Chinese, anti-Western sentiment among the Vietnamese. As the French began to colonise parts of Southern Vietnam in 1862, Confucian values became part of the patriotic symbol in the fight against the invader. Despite the fact that the Vietnamese monarchy lost most of its power to the French in 1884, Confucian thought continued to dominate socio-cultural activities in Vietnam until the early decades of the twentieth century. In the nineteenth century, French efforts to spread French language, thoughts and ideals among the Vietnamese encountered great difficulties because the local people were not cooperative. The great majority of scholars and intellectuals left the French-controlled areas and moved to rural areas to open private schools which propagated Confucian studies in order to counteract the spread of French values (Nguyễn Anh 1967a: 40). Until the 1910s and 1920s, French schools were regarded as places for traitors and for the propagation of anti-tra***ional values (Nguyễn Hiến Lê 1968: 107). These schools never succeeded in enrolling the required number of students, despite attractions such as scholarships, free books, papers and pens (Nguyễn Hiến Lê 1968: 107, Nguyễn Anh 1967a: 40-41). The French reacted by ordering the provincial heads to send a required number of students to the French schools. The Vietnamese elite responded by sending unemployed people and servants to these schools (Nguyễn Anh 1967a: 41-42). Thus, Western culture had little impact on the Vietnamese socio-cultural life until the 1910s. On the contrary, Confucianism had become a symbol of patriotism and was proudly practiced by the Vietnamese.
This socio-political environment motivated a tendency to adopt Chinese ideals or models in different artistic fields. Vietnamese writers used Chinese language and poetic forms side by side with Vietnamese language and forms. In architecture, Chinese models provided the patterns for the decoration or design of many temples, royal palaces and private houses. In the decoration of the đàn tranh, Vietnamese craftsmen showed a strong preference for Chinese motives in the making of the mother-of-pearl inlays on the sidepieces of the instrument. These decorative patterns were used as symbols of good fortune or nobility. For example, the pattern depicting a bat symbolises happiness, while the patterns depicting a double gourd, a writing brush, and a pear-shaped lute represent leisure, scholarship, and artistry respectively. Other patterns depict the four noble Chinese arts of music, chess, poetry and calligraphy or painting. In ad***ion, various patterns depicting well-known events or stories in Chinese history, literature and legends appeared in the decoration of the đàn tranh. Until recently, these patterns still appeared side by side with those, which represented either well-known historical events or famous architectural achievements in Vietnam.
With respect to music, Huế and tài tử musicians of this period tended to adopt Chinese extra-musical concepts and practices. These included the adoption of the Confucian concepts of music, the application of practical disciplines of Chinese qin players, the use of Chinese loan words in the making of titles of compositions, the employment of Chinese stories in the making of song-texts, and the formation of social restrictions on female đàn tranh musicians. (to be continued)

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

In their theoretical writings and oral statements, many Huế and tài tử musicians who learnt their art in the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries tended to borrow the Confucian concept of the cosmological and ethical significance of music in order to re-interpret the meanings and functions of Huế and tài tử music. Between the 1950s and 1990s, a number of Huế and tài tử musicians such as Nguyễn Hữu Ba, Nguyễn Văn Thinh, Bùi Văn Hai, Hai Biểu and Hai Ngưu continued to propagate these borrowed concepts.
The notion that music is a part of nature and expresses the harmony of heaven and earth is the basis of the belief that the five main tones of music are associated with the five materials (metal, wood, water, fire and earth) (Hai Biểu nd:tape D59, Nguyễn Văn Thinh 1963: 103, Tân Việt Ðiểu 1961:371, Bùi Văn Hai nd:1). This notion is a direct borrowing from the Confucian cosmological concept of music. Bùi Văn Hai (nd:1) and Tân Việt Ðiểu (1962 : 371-372) even used direct quotations from the Chinese book Yueh Chi [Record of Music] *****pport their arguments. The adoption of the Confucian cosmological view of music gave rise to the belief in the sacredness of music, for the Vietnamese had always regarded the sky and earth as being powerful and sacred entities in their life. To show their respect for music and to maintain its harmony with nature, Huế and tài tử musicians of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries adopted a number of practical disciplines from Chinese qin players. These disciplines are the lục kỵ [six forbidden rules] and the thất bất đàn [seven situations not suitable for the performance of stringed instruments] (Hoàng Yến 1919:237, Bùi Văn Hai nd: 8). The Six Rules forbid the playing of a stringed instrument under the following disruptive climatic con***ions: when the weather is too hot, when it is too cold, when there are strong winds, when it is raining heavily, when it is snowing, and when thunder sounds. When nature is not "harmonious", it is not appropriate to play music, which is designed to express natural harmony. The Seven Situations regard the playing of stringed instruments as being inappropriate during a funeral service or mourning in one''s house, in noisy surroundings, when one''s mind is occupied by other things, when one is not well-dressed, when incense has not yet been burned, when one''s body is not clean, and when a listener does not understand the music. The aim of these rules was certainly to show respect for music. Playing music for listeners who do not understand it was regarded as degrading music; to do so was referred to as đàn khảy tai trâu [playing music for the ear of a water-buffalo]. Formal preparations such as burning incense and the avoidance of situations, which cause distraction, were intended to increase respect for musical performances.
These two sets of rules were borrowed directly from the rules for the Chinese qin players as recorded in the sixteenth century book Jin Gu Qi Guan (Kim Cổ Kỳ Quan) [Old and New Wonders] by Yong Bao Lao Ren (Ủng Bảo Lão Nhân) (nd: 41). The rule, which forbids musicians to play when it is snowing, confirms the Chinese origin of these sets of rules, as Vietnam is in the tropics. The extent to which Huế and tài tử musicians adhered to these two sets of rules in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries is unknown. However, a number of photographs of đàn tranh players in Huế in the early 1960s indicates that the practices of wearing formal dress and burning incense before playing music were still maintained by a number of Huế musicians (Thái Văn Kiểm 1964late 10). In the South, these practices no longer existed in the 1950s. According to master Nguyễn Văn Kỳ, the formalities in performances of tài tử music decreased in his time, and performers no longer burnt incense and wore formal dress before each practical session (1956:1-2).
In ad***ion, a number of musicians borrowed the Confucian concept of music as a means for ethical and educational guidance in their re-interpretation of the social functions of Huế and tài tử music. In Confucian China, music was regarded as one of the four noble arts (music, chess, poetry and painting) by which an individual could purify his thought and spirit. Music was also one of the six essential subjects of a Confucian education, which included ritual lore and practices [Lễ], music [nhạc], archery [xạ], riding [ngự], literature and philosophy [thư] and mathematics [số]. Following the Chinese view, some Huế and tài tử musicians asserted that "wise men of ancient time invented music as a means to correct man?Ts thought and character" (Hoàng Yến 1921a: 371), and that it was through the study of music that one "learnt the spirit of orderly organisation and disciplinary practice" which was embodied in the organisation of musical materials and the execution of these materials (Hoàng Yến 1921f:370). Some Huế musicians even borrowed the Confucian view about the emotional restrictions on music in their theoretical writings. According to the Chinese classic Yueh Chi [Record of Music], if music is to serve as a means of ethical guidance, it should be emotionally restricted. The "right music" should bring neither sadness nor too much joy (Kaufmann 1976:36). Music that expresses extreme sadness or cheerfulness was considered to be "evil music", which could have bad effects on man''s virtue (Kaufmann 1976:39). Vietnamese musicians adopted this view by stating that Huế music expresses joy but not license, sorrow but not defeat. They supported their arguments by direct quotations from the Yueh Chi and the Lun Yu [the Analects] (Nguyễn Hữu Ba 1969:21). Such statements certainly contradict the indigenous concept of music as a means by which to express personal emotions and feelings. Huế musician Nguyễn Hữu Quát harshly criticised the adoption of these Chinese views and maintained that they had nothing to do with Huế music (1921:176). His view is supported by the fact that none of the musicians who borrowed Confucian concepts of music actually abandoned the indigenous concept of music as a means for emotional expression. In fact, they tended to graft Confucian concepts on to the indigenous ones, thus removing the logic from their argument because of the contradiction between the two ideals.
If these Confucian views "had nothing to do" with Huế and tài tử music, then why were they adopted by musicians of these two tra***ions? In my opinion, the aims of Huế and tài tử musicians in adopting the Confucian concepts of music and the practical disciplines of Chinese qin players were to increase the social value of their art, to heighten their social status, and to enable their art to function effectively in the socio-cultural con***ions of Vietnam in this period. As Chinese and Confucian ideals were highly valued and respected by the Vietnamese, the re-interpretation of the meanings and functions of Huế and tài tử music from the Confucian viewpoint and the adoption of the practical disciplines of qin players, who were always respected scholars in China, would certainly have helped to heighten the social value of these two types of music and the social status of musicians.
Also, in order to increase the social value of their music, Huế and tài tử musicians tended to use Chinese loan words in the making of titles of their compositions. In fact, all principal pieces in the classical repertoire of Huế and tài tử music have Chinese loan words in their titles. Some of these titles, such as Lưu Thủy [Flowing Water] and Phụng Cầu Hoàng [The Male Phoenix Courting the Female] are direct transliterations of the titles of well-known pieces mentioned in the Chinese literature [4]. In the nineteenth century, there was also a tendency to create song-texts in Chinese to be sung in Vietnamese pronunciation of Chinese characters. In a collection of twenty-five pieces of Huế music dated from c.1863, the song-texts of ten pieces are in Chinese (Trần Văn Khê 1961: 69). Even though Chinese has no longer been used in song-texts written in the twentieth century, the practice of using Chinese loan words in the titles of compositions prevailed until the 1970s.
The preference for Chinese loan words was certainly motivated by the promotion of Chinese as the official written language by Vietnamese monarchs between the eleventh and the nineteenth centuries. This practice led to the rise of the belief among the Vietnamese that Chinese loan words "sound more respectable" than their indigenous counterparts. Therefore, most of the important terms in arts, music, literature, science, technology, economics, and politics were derived from Chinese. This practice has continued in Vietnam until the present time.
In ad***ion to the use of Chinese loan words in the titles of compositions, tài tử musicians tended to create song-texts based on Chinese stories, legends and historical events, such as the story of Boya (Bá Nha) and Ziqi (Tử Kỳ), and the story of Xiangwu (Hạng Võ) and Yuji (Ngu Cơ) [5]. Many of these stories promote Confucian ethical concepts such as tam cương [three bonds] and ngũ thường [five virtues] [6]. None of the song-texts of Huế music that I have collected so far are based on Chinese stories. This suggests that the level of Chinese influence in tài tử music was greater than in Huế music. The influx of Chinese refugees and migrants in the provinces of Southern Vietnam since the seventeenth century is probably the main reason for this higher level of Chinese influence in tài tử music.
After China had been taken over by the Man Chu in 1680, thousands of Chinese fled to Vietnam and resettled in Mỹ Tho, Biên Hòa and Hà Tiên (Lê Quí Ðôn 1977:229, Vương Hồng Sển 1968b:18-19). From 1778, many Chinese merchants and migrants came to Gia Ðịnh and Biên Hòa and developed Chinese "zones" in these areas (Vương Hồng Sển 1968b:41-45). The policy of favouring the Chinese culture of the Vietnamese monarchs enabled Chinese culture to flourish in these areas. By the end of the nineteenth century, Chinese tales and historical accounts had become very popular among the South Vietnamese. In the first decade of this century, publications of verse narratives based on Chinese stories and translations of Chinese classical fiction were in great demand in Southern Vietnam (Sơn Nam 1974:118-120). The popularity of Chinese stories explains why tài tử musicians of this period based their song-texts on these stories.
Apart from providing the sources for re-interpreting the meanings and functions of Huế and tài tử music, Confucian thought also affected the social organisation of đàn tranh musicians in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Contemporary sources on Vietnamese instruments indicate that the đàn tranh has basically been an instrument favoured by female players (Lê Huy and Huy Trân 1984: 93; Trần Quang Hải 1975: 3). This view is supported by the fact that the majority of đàn tranh students, teachers and performers at the present time are female. Moreover, the majority of đàn tranh students at the conservatories of music and private classes are female. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, however, there were not many accomplished female đàn tranh performers. Of the twelve đàn tranh virtuosi in Huế during this period, only three were female; but their full names were not recorded (Hoàng Yến 1921a:384-386). In the South, all well-known đàn tranh performers were male.
In my view, it was the influence of Confucianism that caused the dominance of male đàn tranh players in Huế and tài tử music before the 1920s. In fact, the Nguyễn kings?T strict application of Confucian social practices that severely restricted women?Ts rights prevented women from participating in socio-cultural activities and political affairs. Between the first and eighteenth centuries, women made many significant contributions to Vietnamese socio-political affairs. Trưng Trắc, Trưng Nhị and Triệu Thị Trinh were the leaders of the two prominent independence movements in the first and the third centuries respectively. Most of the Trưng sisters'' generals were women. Under the Ðinh dynasty (968-980) and the Lý dynasty (1010-1225), the queen or a highly-ranked concubine could be appointed acting head of the government or could participate in the decision-making processes of the government during the transition period after the king died or when the king was at the frontline during wartime. Under the Trần dynasty (1225-1400), Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Châu wrote Kê Minh Thập Sách [The **** Greeting Dawn: A Ten Point Political Proposal], which consisted of suggestions to improve the con***ions of the society (Phương Lan, nd:27). In the same period, Trần Ngữ Nương commanded the Vietnamese army in battles against Champa (Phương Lan, nd: 32). In Lam Sơn uprising against Chinese occupation (1418-1427), Phạm Thị Ngọc Trân, Trầ n Ngọc Hảo and Huy Trân managed military supplies, while Nguyễn Thị Bành commaned local resistance units in Thanh Hóa (Hoàng Khôi & Hoàng Ðình Thi, 1978:15-18).
Women?Ts rights to participate in socio-political activities were gradually restricted along with other rights when Vietnamese monarchs began to adopt Confucianism as the guidelines for social, cultural and political activities since the fifteenth century. Confucian ideology propagates a system of gender roles in society: a social role for men and a domestic role for women. This is emxemplified in the Confucian concepts of tam tòng [three submissions] and tứ đức [four virtues], which orientated women, especially those from established urban families, towards domestic affairs only. According to the three submissions, a woman owed obedience to her father, to her husband after marriage and to her oldest son after her husband''s death. The four feminine "virtues" include domestic skills, beauty, calm speech, and virtuous character. Between the fifteenth and the eighteenth centuries, however, Confucian system of gender roles was not strictly applied and women?Ts rights were still recognised in the Hồng Ðức Code of the Lê dynasty (1428-1788). This enabled a number of women to participate in social activities. Under the Lê dynasty, Princess Ðoan Trang was appointed nữ tổng binh [female commander] and led the Vietnamese army in many victorious battles (Phương Lan, nd:33). Under the Tây Sơn dynasty (1788-1801), Bùi Thị Xuân was a General and Field Commandant of the army and became one of the well-known Generals of the Tây Sơn army. Many women authors such as Ngô Chi Lan (15th century), Ðoàn Thị Ðiểm (1705-1748), and Hồ Xuân Hương (late 18th-early 19th centuries) rose to prominence during this period.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, however, the Nguyễn dynasty?Ts promotion of a strict application of Confucian ideology led to a significant decrease in women?Ts participation in social activities in urban areas. Even when a woman reached significant achievements in a specific field, her name and biography were rarely recorded. For example, a very prominent female poet of the nineteenth century was only known as bà huyện Thanh Quan [wife of the head of the Thanh Quan province], despite the fact that her works were widely admired.
Thus, in this social environment, the participation of female đàn tranh players in teaching activities or performances outside the family circle was not encouraged. This led to the scarcity of excellent female đàn tranh players and the dominance of male performers in teaching activities and in "public" performances. Male dominance in social engagements only began to diminish in the latter half of this century when Vietnamese society underwent a process of modernisation. During this time many Confucian concepts and values were abandoned. Since then female đàn tranh players?T involvement in public activities has increased, and now outnumbers male players. (to be continued)

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

Summary
Huế and tài tử music of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were characterised by a strong tendency to graft Chinese extra-musical ideals and practices on to indigenous ones. The adoption of Confucian concepts of music led to the re-interpretation of the meanings and functions of Huế and tài tử music, the application of practical disciplines of Chinese qin players, and the placing of social restrictions on women đàn tranh players. Chinese influence is also explicit in the use of Chinese loan words in the title of compositions and the creation of song-texts based on Chinese stories. The basic motivation behind this process of adopting Chinese extra-musical aspects was non-musical. As Chinese and Confucian values were highly respected by the Vietnamese elite during this period, Huế and tài tử musicians tended to graft Chinese extra-musical aspects on to indigenous ones so as to increase the social value of their art.
From a socio-cultural viewpoint, the preference for Chinese extra-musical aspects and the rejection of Western ones among Huế and tài tử musicians reflected the nature of the processes and results of culture contact in Vietnam in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In fact, although the Vietnamese were in contact with both Chinese and French cultures, their pro-Chinese, anti-Western attitude led to the acceptance of Chinese values and the rejection of French values. The pro-Chinese, anti-Western policies of the Nguyễn kings between 1802 and 1883 and the promotion of Confucian ideals as the symbol of patriotism by the anti-colonial movements between 1862 and 1905 played a significant part in the formation of these socio-cultural attitudes. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that the socio-political environment was a dynamic factor behind the development of Huế and tài tử music in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Despite the adaptation of many Chinese extra-musical and practical aspects, Huế and tài tử musicians have always maintained the indigenous concepts of music as a means by which to express personal emotions as well as typical musical features of these two tra***ions. In the next two chapters, I shall examine the fundamental musical features of Huế and tài tử music in order to demonstrate the ways in which the indigenous concept of music as a means of expressing emotions directed the development of technical and practical aspects of these two types of music.
Notes:
[1]. The term nhạc tài tử ["music for skillful artists" or "music for talented amateurs"] may have derived from the non-commercial practice of performers of this tra***ion (The term tài tử means "a talented person", "a skillful artist" or "a talented amateur").
[2]. The Vietnamese written language, the chữ Nôm, was based on Chinese characters.
[3]. A complete English translation of the laws under the Lê dynasty is provided in The Lê Code: Law in Tra***ional Vietnam(1989) by Nguyễn Ngọc Huy, Tạ Văn Tài and Trần Văn Liêm.
[4]. Liu Shui (Lưu Thủy) [Flowing Water] was the title of the piece that Boya (Bá Nha) played for Ziqi (Tử Kỳ) when they met for the first time. Feng Qiu Huang (Phụng Cầu Hoàng ) was the title of a well-known composition for the Chinese qin which was composed and played by Sima Xiangru (Tư Mã Tương Như) (d.117 B.C).
[5]. Boya (Bá Nha) and Ziqi (Tử Kỳ) lived in China in the third century B.C. Boya (Bá Nha) was the great qin player and Ziqi (Tử Kỳ) was the great listener. They developed an intimate friendship soon after they met. After Ziqi (Tử Kỳ) died, Boya (Bá Nha) broke his instrument. They had a sincere and understanding friendship in music.
Xiangwu (Hạng Võ) was the Lord of the Sở kingdom in the third century B.C. After being defeated by the Hán forces, he committed suicide. His wife, Yuji (Ngu Cơ) killed herself soon after. Their story emphasises faithfulness and chastity in love.
[6]. According to the Three Bonds, an individual should be loyal to the king, show filial piety to his father and be faithful to his spouse. The Five Virtues include human warmth, righteousness, propriety, knowledge, and sincerity.
REFERENCES:
All references cited in this article are listed in the bibliography and discography (pp. 146-182) of the book Ðàn Tranh Music of Vietnam: Tra***ions and Innovations (1998) by Lê Tuấn Hùng.
This article was first published as Chapter 2 of the book Ðàn Tranh Music of Vietnam: Tra***ions and Innovations (1998). This revised electronic version copyright © 2003 by Le Tuan Hung.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lê Tuấn Hùng is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and musicologist who specialises in Vietnamese music and Australian experimental music. His compositions and performances were recorded and released on Move Records, ABC and NMA labels. He is the author of many publications on Vietnamese music and is regarded as an expert in Vietnamese musicology. He holds qualifications in many fields, including a PhD in music from Monash University (Australia).

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

Thần kinh mất rồi ... đúng là bó tay ... Ai trong box Huế này đọc mà hiểu hết thì chết liền á ...
To anh duongphuongbay : em lạy anh , anh đã không bỏ qua cho vụ em chửi anh thì thôi chứ anh post bài kiểu này thì đúng là em có lần chửi anh thì cũng không sai mà ...Anh đủ khôn để hiểu nhá , em biết anh không ngu ngốc để hiểu ý em .
Muốn tính diện tích Việt Nam
Thái Lan, Trung Quốc ta mang cộng vào
Sau đó nhân với nước Lào
Chia cho Mông Cổ thế nào cũng ra

You''re wrong! Hue box is not for only Hue Box''s members, it''s 4 everymember in this website, among them so much member living in oversea, u c ?
Come on duongphuongbay, I have a new doc. 4 this topic:
Hue distinctive food
Hue food is processed in a sophisticated manner with colours more striking than northern and southern food. For example, according to Hanoian''s conception, a standard bowl of noodle soup must have pure white broth. Meanwhile, according to Hue people''s standards, a bowl of noodle soup must have not only opalescent broth but also an oily film on the surface, several green blades of onion and some scarlet slices of capsicum.
With popular spices like capsicum, onion, garlic, pepper, and saffron, Hue homemakers can create artistic dishes with special flavours. According to Hue people''s criterion, a flavoursome course must be nourishing, delicious, and cheap. To reach these standards, the use of spices is very important. Hue people like sourness and bitterness so they do not use sugar and coconut milk as much as southerners. To create a harmony in flavour and taste, Hue homemakers attach importance to selecting spices rather than materials.
Historically, Hue was the capital of the last Vietnamese feudal regime and it was home to patricians and upper strata so the way of cooking of Hue people is meticulous. Till now, they still keep maintaining finicality in processing food. Hue food represents the art of seasoning, processing, and appreciation and is filled with deep philosophies. The followings are Hue special courses:
Banh beo (bloating fern-shaped cake) is made of rice flour. Firstly, rice flour is mixed with water, salt and fat and then it is cooked for several minutes. During this stage, the chef has to stir the rice flour all the time to prevent it from sticking together. After that, the rice flour is poured into round wood shapes or small round cups and steamed for 15 to 20 minutes. Finally, the chef strews stuffing (pounded shrimp fried with fat and dried onion and mixed with salt, pepper and mousoduim-glutamate) on the surface of pieces of steamed rice flour. Banh beo sauce is a mixture of garlic, capsicum, and fish sauce.
Banh khoai (plain rice flan) is also made from rice flour. Firstly, rice flour is mixed with cold water, salt, and sugar. When the shapes get hot enough, the chef coats them with fat, then pours rice flour into the shapes, strews stuffing (a combination of fried shrimp, lean meat and mushroom) and waits for the cakes cook. After that, the chef adds bean sprouts and covers a thin coat of egg yolk on the surface of the cakes and continues to steam. After several minutes, he folds the cakes in two and overturns them so that they are grilled crisply both two sides. Banh khoai is eaten with fresh vegetables such as fig, unripe bananas, mint, etc and dipped in sauce made of ground liver, soybean jam, peanuts, sesames and some spices like salt, capsicum, garlic and sugar.
Banh loc: The major material for making this kind of cake is kudzu powder. Firstly, the chef mixes kudzu power with boiled water and then squeezes and presses until the kudzu powder becomes well-kneaded. After that, he divides the dough into small balls and kneads the balls into thin and round powder pieces. The following stage is putting stuffing (shrimp and fat meat simmered with fish sauce, salt, pepper, onion, capsicum and sugar) on the kudzu powder pieces, folding them in two to have semicircular shaped cakes. These cakes are boiled for 15-20 minutes until they become transparent. Banh loc is dipped into a special kind of sauce including fish sauce, lemon, chilly, sugar, etc.
Hue vermicelli: Vermicelli is a popular course in Vietnam but Hue has long been known for its vermicelli with beef and grilled chopped meat. This course is a combination of white vermicelli, rare beef, grilled chopped crab, grilled chopped meat, well-done lean meat, etc. Gastronomes often think of Hue vermicelli, with the pungency of capsicum, the sweetness of broth, and the fattiness of beef.
Cooked rice with mussels comprises 21 materials such as mussel, capsicum, chutney, capsicum dipped into fish sauce, roasted salt, peanut, sesame, crumbed grilled girdle cake, fried pork skin, fat, scrap, vermicelli or cooked rice, fresh vegetables of various kinds, banana inflorescence, mint leaves, garlic, sugar, fried onion, ginger, etc. Notably, all components must be cold but mussel the liquor must be kept boiled during the meal.
Nem chua (fermented pork roll):
Rump meat is ground, then mixed with sliced pork skin, sugar, sesame, salt, seasoning, and pepper. This mixture is bundled by banana leaves and left for two or three days for fermentation.
Hue vegetarian food: Hue is a major Buddhist centre of Vietnam so its vegetarian food is well-known. With vegetarian materials, Hue homemakers can create attractive and diverse dishes that look and taste like normal ones such as roasted pork cooked with fish sauce, chicken salad, beefsteak, grilled meat roll, pork bologna, chicken porridge, etc. Hue vegetarian food amazes many foreign visitors. Reputed restaurants for vegetarian food are located in Hue''s Le Loi, Hung Vuong, Dinh Tien Hoang, Han Thuyen and Ba Trieu streets.
Royal food includes special courses that are processed in line with royal recipes of the Nguyen Dynasty such as hot crab soup, fried meat roll, chicken cooked with beans, Huong Giang cooked rice, etc.
By DO DINH SON (people daily)
MĂM MĂM, SO DELICIOUS, SO CHEAP, LET''S GO E''VRYBODY!!!!