Bài chòi: 'Play' on stage

Game and Drama - these two things rarely go together. Yet, in Bài Chòi play, people not only perform play but also play card games. Let's discover how this art form begin in this post.

Origin

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Bài Chòi is a unique art form in Central Vietnam, incorporating traditional games and folk performances. "Bài chòi" refers to "bài" - card games, and "chòi" - the traditional house of people in Central Vietnam. It is a type of tall hut which usually appeared in groups, and was particularly common in the late 16th century. As Vietnamese people moved South to cultivate new land, they settled in the untamed forest and broke their fresh ground by growing crops there. To avoid wild animals from destroying the new farm, the ancient Vietnamese built tall huts called "chòi" to watch over the farm and protect crops from wild animals. When no threat was present, guards working in these "chòi" usually got bored. Hence, during this time, they began to interact with each other through singing and chanting.

A Bài Chòi performance (Source: Vinwonders)

Later, these guards find another entertaining way to pass the time: playing cards! Together with people from the nearby "chòi", they started playing Bài Tứ Sắc (or four colored cards) in their free time. As the huts were usually set next to each other, villagers could sit in their own hut and play the game. Along with playing cards, they also sang and chanted as the games progressed.

From a pastime activity, Bài chòi gradually becomes a theatrical performance genre. This art form was very popular across the 11 provinces in Central Vietnam, including Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị, Thừa Thiên Huế, Đà Nẵng, Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, Bình Định, Phú Yên, Khánh Hòa, Ninh Thuận, Bình Thuận.

How to 'play'

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People usually perform Bài chòi during the Lunar New Year. Eventually, this annual performance became a festival - Bài chòi festival - that is still popular in central Vietnam up to this day. Each province may organize this festival differently, but the process is generally similar, summarized in 4 words: play - beat - shout - chant.

During the festival, villagers set up 9 or 11 huts, divided into 2 sides, with 5 huts on each side and a big hut (chòi mẹ) in the center. Each hut is 2-3 meters tall, large enough for a few people to sit in. The center hut is for the festival host and important figures in the area. Each hut (except for the center hut) will have 3 cards for each match.

People sitting in the hut, waiting for the winning card to be announced. (Source: Bộ văn hóa, thể thao và du lịch)

The deck used in Bài chòi is the Tứ Sắc deck (the four-colored cards), also known as the modified Tam Cúc cards (three chrysanthemums deck). This deck typically consists of 33 cards, divided into 3 groups: pho văn, pho vạn, and pho sách, each composed of 10 cards, and 3 additional cards in black color to distinguish from other colorful cards. These cards are pasted on thin bamboo boards, each comprised of 3 cards without duplicates.

The main singer, who is called "anh hiệu," will host the game. He will draw a card from the bamboo boards and sing a verse of folk songs that consists of the card name he is holding. If any hut guesses the name of the card correctly, they must strike the wooden bell (gõ mõ) so that the host will know and bring the card to the hut. If a hut guesses correctly 3 times, they are winning a big prize. The host will then raise a small flag and present a tray of wine as a prize to the winning hut. A paper flag is also placed on the hut to signify the victory.

The host shows the winning cards to the players in a modern Bài chòi festival. (Source: báo Dân trí)

In some ways, Bài chòi sounds like BINGO. However, what makes it stand out as a unique Vietnamese cultural heritage is the chant improvised in the festival. It showcases the creativity of Vietnamese people and also their love to perform and engage with one another in their community.

The chants in the performance are traditional four/five-syllable chants or six to eight verses. The melody is crafted according to the tone of the verses, which vary according to six main tunes: Xuân nữ cổ (old spring tune), Xuân nữ mới (new spring tune), Cổ bản (old version), Xàng xê cũ (old version of the Xàng xê), Xàng xê mới (new version of the Xàng xê), and Hồ quảng (also known as hò quảng). The chanter (anh hiệu) will improvise the lyrics based on the name of the card drawn.

Still thriving

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Unlike many other stage forms, Bài chòi is still thriving well up to this day. People in Central Vietnam still love to attend the Bài chòi festival as the Lunar New Year comes, and the intertwining of theatrical elements and traditional games still fascinates most people. Maybe the way people treat it more as a game, an entertainment form, or a performance is what helps Bài chòi survive, for people perceive it as a chance to actively bond with their villagers and relax after a long busy year.

Many people attend Bài chòi festival (Source: Viện nghiên cứu di sản văn hóa)

Thank you for reading this post! Feel free to express your opinion about Bài chòi in the comment section below.