LookAtVietnam – A five-year national project to restore nha nhac (court music) ended on Tuesday when the Hue city Relics Conservation Centre surveyed more than 30 musicians’ costumes which had been restored under the project.

Frock of ages: An elaborate court music costume, restored by researcher Trinh Bach, signalled the end of a five-year national project to conserve the art form.

In the project, run by the Relics Conservation Centre, profiles on nha nhac costumes and orchestral instruments were compiled and more than 1,000 documents written during the Nguyen Dynasty were collected and are now kept in newly established archives.

As part of the project, 20 instrumentalists received formal training in nha nhac, while more than 100 practitioners and mentors were trained in art conservation.

Dozens of performances were held both inside and outside the country to promote nha nhac.

The successful restoration of Thai Binh co nhac, a royal performance of drums, was one of the highlights of the project, according to officials. The project cost US$350,000, of which $155,000 was donated by the Japan’s Trust Fund via UNESCO.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News