The traditional martial art known as “Moonlight of Phon Xuong,” which utilizes iron flutes as both musical instruments and combat weapons, is experiencing a cultural revival across Yen The district in Vietnam. Rooted in the Yen uprising of 1884 led by rebel leader De Tham, the discipline combines 54 defense and attack movements with flute melodies.
Revival and Training Initiatives in Yen The Schools
Efforts to preserve and teach the iron flute martial art have expanded into local educational institutions through structured training programs. According to Nhan Dan, master Trinh Nhu Quan learned the discipline from Trieu Quoc Ui, the art’s last known inheritor in Lung Phe village, Tam Tien commune, in 1991. Master Trinh later spent years mastering the 54 techniques before winning a second-place award at the FTCTS Vietnam International Sports Film and Television Festival in June 2008.
To pass down the practice, instructional sessions have been integrated into local schools. Between March 11 and March 18, 2026, during the Yen The Festival week, 300 students from Hoang Hoa Tham Middle School performed the flute martial art routine. Later, from June 29 to July 6, 2026, over 300 students across 11 school clubs—including elementary, middle, and ethnic minority boarding schools—participated in a dedicated flute martial art competition.
Workshops and Cultural Integration
Instructional outreach extended further between September 12 and September 21, 2026, when 40 members of the Yen The Martial Arts Flute Club alongside local music teachers received training from Master Trinh Nhu Quan. Concurrently, Tong Van Hue, a lecturer at the Bac Ninh University of Culture, instructed participants on bamboo flute basics, performance techniques, and music theory.
Thanh Hai Nam, secretary of the Yen The Commune Party Committee and chairman of the People’s Council, stated that Yen The is gradually establishing flute martial art as a regular community cultural activity linked with education and tourism to foster patriotism and local pride.
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