Thai Qhue

The Tai Ku workshop, known in Vietnamese as Thái Khuê, is a family workshop run by Phạm Hồng Thái and Đỗ Thị Khuê in Hanoi. It makes rare musical instruments used by many of Vietnam’s ethnic groups. Jaw harps became one of its principal areas of work, with most of the instruments being sent abroad.

By 2006, the workshop had already been making and selling instruments for several decades and employed about thirty people. Its craftspeople studied traditional đàn môi and gradually improved their construction. By 2012, Phạm Hồng Thái had been researching and making these instruments for more than ten years.

The name đàn môi literally means “lip instrument.” Vietnam’s ethnic groups also use various regional names for the jaw harp: roding among the Jarai, toung among the Koho and Maa, then among the Bahnar, guat among the Roglai, hoen toong among the Tai, pang teu ing among the Muong, and rab ncas among the Hmong.

In central Vietnam, people play the jaw harp for their own enjoyment, while among the Hmong it has long been used as a means of communication between lovers. Brass from artillery and cartridge cases left in large quantities by American forces during the Vietnam War was used for the workshop’s metal instruments.

The workshop continues to develop the traditional đàn môi design and create new variations of the instrument. In 2025, Phạm Hồng Thái said that he hoped his son would continue this work in the future.

Video filmed by Trần Quang Hải at Tien’s house outside Hanoi on 17 July 2010.

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