The elderly are living with their youth. Photo N.T

Coming to An Quang Tay hamlet (Phu Cat District) on the second day of Lunar New Year, we could feel the sound of Bai choi, a typical Vietnamese cultural game. Many people were gathering there to join the game.

In bai choi, players sit inside makeshift thatched huts (choi) located around a tower, on which a hieu (speaker) stands. The speaker reads or sings lyrics to guide the play. This time, owing to the expenditure, they made a tent instead of thatched huts, but it didn't matter.

When hearing the drum, all people, young and old, gathered at the headquarter of the hamlet. Children were the eagerest ones, coming to the speaker to listen to lyrics and sing silently; meanwhile, the others also had the same feeling.

It has been a long time since such a big game was held, which made people eager to join, said head of the hamlet, Nguyen Van Bich. Learning experience from previous years, Binh Dinh bai choi folksong club was invited early this year to prepare for the game.

At noon, the game was still bustling with scores of people. An 81-year-old local man who loves bai choi very much was singing with the speaker, using hands to beat the drum. Local people also loved bai choi and many could sing very well. They themselves could hold a perfect game, but now they were old, he said.

This Lunar New Year's game is one of the most successful ones. During three days of the game, there were a lot of people participating and cheering. Artists and players showed their enthusiasm when performing while the audience shouted loudly, according to meritorious artist Phan Ngan.

"Spring goddess looks and smiles"

Preparations for the games had happened in a jubilant atmosphere. When the game started, the elderly listened to the speaker and sang with him, thinking of their youth. For the young, the game was a chance for them to meet each other.

It seemed that everyone was happy with cards on hands, listening to bai choi folksongs: " Four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn/ Every has different features/ Spring goddess looks and smiles." In the evening, they watched bai choi plays together.

Bai choi is still very much alive in Binh Dinh's cultural tradition. This is because the people's love for bai choi is lasting.

• Ngoc Tu (compiled by Hong Quang)