Lang Son, Jan. 25 -- The beautiful melody of traditional instruments and the charming lyrics of chau van (trance ritual singing ) have enchanted Ta Thi Bich Loc since she was a small child.

Loc, now 80, works at Cua Dong Temple in Lang Son city in the northern province of Lang Son. She has vowed to devote her life to the preservation of this traditional ritual, and she has been a 'chau van' singer for more than 40 years.

The artisan said she first heard 'chau van' when she was six years old when her mother took her to a local festival.

"When I was a little girl, I enjoyed going with my mother to temples and pagodas and watching hau dong (also known len dong) trance shows. The charming folk music of 'chau van' was part of the performanc...