THUA THIEN HUE -- The South Korea's Centre for Traditional Performing Arts has just handed two replica sets of music instrument, which had been used under feudal reigns in Viet Nam, to the Hue Relics Preservation Centre.
The sets include 12 bronze (locally named as bien chung) and 12 stone bars placed in order of different levels of tones (bien khanh), which have been said to be originated in ancient China, then transferred to some Eastern Asia countries including South Korea and Viet Nam.
The bells are cast with a hook on the top of each for hanging. There are four parallel emerged lines circling the bell's body. There are nine small buttons over the bell for knocking on.
Each stone bar are made in "L" shaped letter and has a hook for hanging, too.
Since 2009, the South Korea experts have co-operated with the Vietnamese partners to do research and produce the two sets using total made-in-Viet Nam materials and traditional Vietnamese producing skills.
Artisan Kim Hyunkon, who have produced Korean traditional instruments for 50 years now and has directly worked on the project, said the Vietnamese royal bronze and stone instruments were much similar to those in South Korea despite some differences in their appearances.
He confirmed that he was contented with the sound of the newly-produced instruments for Viet Nam because of the exact ratio of bronze, tin and lead mixed for casting.
The two sets of instrument then will be given to artists from the Hue Traditional Royal Arts Theatre, who then will revive the ways of using the instruments with the helps of concerned Vietnamese and South Korean experts.
The sets will be used to perform at Te Giao ceremony and Xa Tac, which are two important worshipping ceremonies practised in Hue imperial citadel in the past, at next biennial Hue festivals.
In Viet Nam, the two sets had been used during the reigns of Le (1427-1788) and Nguyen (1802-1945).
Under the Nguyen reign, the two sets were used by royal music band as hanging instruments at various important royal ceremonies like the royal ceremony at Thai Hoa Palace, Te Giao ceremony, Xa Tac worshipping ceremony.
Since the end of the Nguyen rule in 1945, no one has been able to produce the sets as well as play them. Only some pieces of the two sets had been preserved at the Hue Royal Antiques Museum until the South Korean experts offered some helps. - VNS
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