1. 1
Model Form_Information on ICH elements
Identifier:
No 3.2.
Name of the Element (Local language, English):
Chằmriêng chà pây (Chamrieng Cha pay)
Category (national domain, UNESCO domain, etc.):
Performing arts
Regions:
SócTrăng province in southern Viet Nam
Communities Involved:
Community of Khmer people in TânHiệp commune, TràCú district, SócTrăng province
Inscription (Y/N) (if inscribed, specify the name of the inventory and registration number)
Registration No 35 in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage -2nd
cycle (Decision No 1524
/QĐ-BVHTTDL on April 24, 2013)
Short Explanation (30 to 50 words):
Among the traditional music treasures of the Khmer people in Mekong Delta, there is Chamrieng Cha pay,
a folk art formthat is comprised of instrumental and vocal solo performances. Emerged a long time ago,
Chamrieng Cha pay flourished among the community of Khmerpeople in Tra Vinh province during the
first decades of 20th
Century, until present day, when the art is fading gradually.
Detailed Explanation (200 to 400 words):
In the Khmer language, “Cham rieng Cha pay” means “instrument playing while singing” or
“storytelling singing”. When in performance, the artist often bases on folk tales to improvise and
sing poems that usually have 4 verses and 7 words each verse. There are stories too rich to be
finished in one night. At times, the Cham rieng Cha pay performance is not based on tales but are

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composed extemporaneously by the artists, to describe reality of lives or to express human’s
emotions and desires, carrying educational purposes. As a result, apart from some basic songs, the
art developed diversely in contents and performing styles, and become suitable for performance in
different spaces, anywhere, anytime.
Cha pay is a musical instrument with ancient root from India. The body has many shapes: isosceles
trapezoid, quadrilateral, bodhi leaf shape, fruit shape or similar to Vietnamese “Day” instrument
but with larger body and longer neck, sometimes measuring 120cm with 12 frets based on the
pentatonic scale. Due to the long neck of the instrument, the players are required to be especially
skilled. Cha pay has deep, warm and low-pitched tones, hence suitable for narrative music or calm
emotional songs.
Before the show, Cham rieng Cha pay artist performs a rite dedicated to their Ancestral Masters -
the ones who created this art form and passed it down – to show gratitude and to ask for blessings
from them in order to perform well. The rite is performed indoor, with 3 trays filled with offerings
including: a cotton tree, a section of a banana tree for putting betel and areca (for chewing) on, a
musical instrument, incense, a piece of white cloth, a roll of red thread, 1 bowl of rice, 1 banana
bunch, 1 plate of boiled pork, 1 plate of tea, cakes, fruits, tea pot and 2 bottles of alcohol.
According to a recent survey, the only artist left in the province is Thach Mau (born 1934), who is
living in Chong Bat Village, Tan Hiep Commune, Tra Cu District, while preserving the art. He is
capable of performing and extemporaneous composition of Cham rieng Cha pay. His son is
learning the art but his skill is still limited.
Photographs (representing the element)
Artist Thach Mau (B 1934) in Chong Bat
Village, Tan Hiep Commune, Tra Cu District
Artist Thach Mau making a Cha pay

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Producing Chàpây
Transmission of Chằmriêngchàpây
Relevant Organizations/Institutions:
- Department of Culture,Sports and Tourismof Trà Vinh province
- Department of Cultural Heritage
Practitioners:
Representative: Artist Thạch Mâu, B.1934,Khmer people.
Address: Chông Bát village, Tân Hiệp commune, Trà Cú district, Trà Vinh province.
Associated items:
Chà pây (musical instrument) and offeringsused in the ceremony of worshipping professional ancestor.
Publications and Reference Materials:
Source:
Submitted nomination file on the National ICH List by Tra Vinh Department of Culture, Sports and
Tourism.
Data Creator:
2012

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Model Form_Information on ICH elements
Identifier:
No 3.3.
Name of the Element (Local language, English):
Múa rối nước (WaterPuppetry)
Category (national domain, UNESCO domain, etc.):
Performing arts
Regions:
In Bồ Dương village,Hồng Phong commune, Ninh Giang district; An Liệt village,Thanh Hải commune,
Thanh Hà district and Bùi Thượng village, Lê Lợi commune, Gia Lộc district, Hải Dương province.
Communities Involved:
Artists of three groups of Water puppetry from three communes of Hồng Phong in Ninh Giang
district; Thanh Hải in Thanh Hà district and Lê Lợi in Gia Lộc district, Hải Dương province.
Inscription (Y/N) (if inscribed, specify the name of the inventory and registration number)
Registration No 11 in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage -1st
batch (Decision No 5079/QĐ-
BVHTTDL on December 27, 2012)
Short Explanation (30 to 50 words):
Water puppetry (Múa rối nước) constitutes an intangible cultural heritage of the domain of performing
arts. Statues of Water puppetry are made of wood, normally of fig tree wood; handled underwater by
bamboo sticks to reflect daily spiritual life,viewpoints,thought and feelings of local people.
Detailed Explanation (200 to 400 words):

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Documents and carved patterns preserved at Bo Duong village temple shows that Water puppetry
has been handed down in Hai Duong since 14th Century. Until the August Revolution (1945), there
have been 3 water puppetry guilds in Hai Duong: Bo Duong, An Liet and Bui Thuong.
These guilds have the following main types of water puppets: Uncle Teu, dragon, dragon boats,
turtle, snake,fish, tiger…Every puppet is a work of art with a certain role in each drama,and among
them Uncle Teu is the most iconic figure of water puppet. There are differences in quantity, type,
scale and size of the puppets, depending on each guild’s show.
Puppets are usually made of the light, easily floating on water figtree wood, which is elaborately
carved with specially styled shapes, then sharpened, polished and decorated with many different
colors to emphasize on the shapes, expressing each character’s personality. The puppets are usually
made looking vibrant, comical, humorous and highly symbolic.
The body of puppets, which floats on water, shows the character, while the underwater base keeps
the puppet floating and is also the place to put the controlling “machine” (rod and string
mechanism) to make the puppet move.
Water Puppetry uses water surface, puppet house and water temple as stage. Water temples are
usually built in the centre of the pond with symmetric architecture, symbolizing the pagoda’s roofs
of Vietnamese countryside. Water puppetry artists stand inside the control chamber to control the
puppets. Nowadays, in all the 3 water puppetry guilds, water temples are built with bricks,
reinforced concrete securely above village ponds. The preferred water level is at 0.8m, and mixed
in is blue color dye product. The water puppetry stage is the blank space in front of control room.
Representative repertoires:
- Teu’s Welcoming: the beginning act to greet the audiences and introduce the show
- Wrestling: celebrating the people’s chivalry and wellness
- Fishing: daily bucolic activities, showing married couple’s harmony in life and work
- Dragon dance, lion dance: showing strength of the mascots and creating joy

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- Eight Fairies Dance: showing harmony between heaven, earth and ordinary life
Nowadays, puppetry guilds are also composing new plays, such as Uncle Ho’s photo parade, Anti
antique thefts, Journey to the West...
There are two groups of water puppetry artist: the puppet controlling team and the performing
team, which includes singers and voice actors.
Water puppetry is an art that uses body movements as the main expressive language. How water
puppetry relates to music is similar to the art of dance. The music, playing the leading role in water
puppetry, controls speed, keeps pace, guides movements, and creates the atmosphere using
traditional rhythm. Water puppetry’s music usually includes Cheo tunes or folk music from the
Tonkin Delta.
Photographs (representing the element)
Relevant Organizations/Institutions:
Practitioners:
There are 02 groups:
- The puppet controlling artists: the puppets on stage act under the control of the artists behind the
screen using rods,wires…

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- The musicians, singers, voice actors: sit next to the control roomto introduce, read the linesfor each
performance.
Associated items:
- Fixed and mobile Water temple with an area about 30m2, in the past used to be made of
bamboos with backdrop in the back, decorated with flags, fan, elephants, parasols, gates (votive)
and name of the puppet guilds…
The Water temple system: There are 3 watertemples built securely with bricksand reinforced concrete
above village ponds.
- Bo Duong temple relic, also known asEast temple, belongs to Bo Duong Village, Hong Phong
Commune (Ninh Giang). Inside the relic there are many carved pieces based on dragon, unicorn, turtle,
phoenix and the precious quartet (representing four seasons) with pine, daisy, small bamboo, apricot
blossom or puppets riding dragon. In highlight there are piecesbased on wrestling Uncle Teu.
- Bui Thuong temple in Le Loi Commune (Gia Loc) is the place to worship Bui Thuong village’s tutelary
– the person who taught water puppet making to the villagers there.
- An Liet temple, Thanh Hai (Thanh Ha) Commune: It was told that the temple had been carved with
Uncle Teu’s figures on the roof supporting frames.Unfortunately the temple and carved works were
destroyed, and the temple presently no longer has any puppet-related carved works.
Publications and Reference Materials:
Source:
Nomination file of Department of Culture, Sports and Tourismof HảiDương province.
Data Creator:
2012