A lifetime devoted to the lion dance

For nearly 50 years of practicing and teaching the lion dance, Lam Van Dam, a respected community figure in Na Teo village, Thien Thuat commune, has helped preserve and safeguard Nung cultural heritage in the mountainous province of Lang Son.

Keeping alive the dance of the ancestors

Born and raised in a land rich in Nung cultural identity, Lam Van Dam’s soul was nurtured from childhood by traditional luon and then melodies, and especially by the sacred lion dance performed during village festivals.

Recalling his childhood memories, he shared: “Every Tet holiday, I followed my father and the older men in the village to watch lion dance performances at the Long Tong festival both inside and outside the commune. Each drumbeat, every dance movement and ritual gradually seeped into me and became a passion before I even realized it.”

In 1975, at the age of 17, he was formally taught by his father and village elders the full repertoire of dance movements, ritual performances and rules embedded in the traditional lion dance art of the Tay and Nung people.

From the rituals of welcoming and sending off the lion at the stream bank and the earth deity shrine, to the way drums, gongs and cymbals are played, how the lion head is crafted, and even the martial arts routines associated with the dance, he learned them methodically and thoroughly.

After mastering the techniques, from 1977 until now, Lam Van Dam has regularly performed the lion dance at festivals and cultural events at commune, district and provincial levels. He has taken part in numerous competitions and exchanges with lion dance troupes in localities such as Cao Loc, Van Quan and Trang Dinh.

Beyond performing, he has presided over hundreds of rituals welcoming and sending off lion troupes in his commune and neighboring areas. Notably, he actively provided information, documents and images to support the preparation of the dossier seeking national recognition for the lion dance as intangible cultural heritage.

On May 8, 2017, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 1852 recognizing the lion dance of the Tay and Nung people in Lang Son province as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage - an important milestone acknowledging the community’s efforts and the dedication of artisans like Lam Van Dam.

Wholeheartedly teaching the younger generation

With a desire for the heritage to continue flourishing, for many years Lam Van Dam has actively taught lion dance to young people in the area. To date, he has directly trained 95 students. In 2016 alone, he was invited by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to teach nearly 40 learners in the former Quang Trung commune. In 2019, he mobilized villagers to establish the Na Teo village lion dance team, which regularly performs at local traditional festivals.

Currently, as a respected figure within the community, Lam Van Dam continues to encourage young people to nurture their passion for the lion dance. Notably, his eldest son, who works at the former Quang Trung Health Center, is now a key member of the village lion dance team and has mastered the traditional routines.

“With us, the lion dance is not merely a performance,” he said. “It is the culture handed down by our ancestors, intertwined with beliefs, spiritual life and the wish for prosperity. That is why it must be cherished and preserved for future generations.”

Living heritage in everyday life

Every year, at festivals such as Pac Khuong and Ban Chuc in Thien Thuat commune, the image of the Na Teo village lion dance team has become a familiar and indispensable cultural presence.

Lam Huy Hoang, an 11th-grade student and member of the Na Teo lion dance team, shared: “In my family, both my grandfather and my father can perform the lion dance, so I truly love this art. I started learning in grade eight. Now I can perform confidently and have joined many festivals across the province.”

For his persistent contributions, in 2022 Lam Van Dam was honored with the title of Meritorious Artisan in the field of intangible cultural heritage. In 2024, he attended the Congress of Ethnic Minority Delegates of Lang Son province and received the commemorative medal “For the Cause of Ethnic Development” awarded by the Minister and Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Affairs, now the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs.

Commenting on him, Ly Van Vuong, Deputy Head of the Culture and Information Office of Thien Thuat commune, said: “Lam Van Dam is a respected and trusted figure in the community and an artisan who has made significant contributions to practicing, performing and teaching the lion dance to younger generations. He is truly a role model in preserving and promoting the cultural values of ethnic minorities in the locality.”

Thuy Hong