Hoa Binh, a land with rich history and culture, is one of the cradles of the ancient Vietnamese. It is home to many ethnic groups, of which Muong is an indigenous community, along with the renowned Hoa Binh Civilisation.

Culture is identified as a strategic breakthrough needing to be made during the implementation of the resolution of the provincial Party Congress. Given this, the provincial Party Committee, People’s Council, and People’s Committee, as well as localities have issued many directions and applied creative and effective methods over the past years.

In particular, Hoa Binh has promoted measures for preserving and promoting values of the local culture. As a result, the diverse and extremely precious tangible and intangible cultural heritage of ethnic groups have been protected and brought into play rather effectively, helping spread heritage values in society. Besides, the relationship between preserving and making use of ethnic groups’ cultural heritage for sustainable tourism development and people’s material and spiritual life improvement has been harmonised properly. Those results provide a basis for developing Hoa Binh’s culture and people, thus contributing to fast and sustainable development in the province in the new period.

On November 24, 2023, the provincial People’s Committee approved a plan on preserving and promoting the values of the Muong ethnic culture and the Hoa Binh Civilisation in the 2023 - 2030 period. This plan identifies people as the key player of cultural value preservation and promotion, which must be done in tandem with the eradication of backward customs and turn the values of the Muong culture and the Hoa Binh Civilisation into development resources.

Basing on this plan, resources are being mobilised for investing in, managing, protecting, and tapping into traditional and archaeological heritage values at the same time with sustainably developing tourism. The efforts are expected to help boost socio-economic development and better the quality of people’s material and spiritual lives.

In terms of the Muong ethnic group’s culture, Hoa Binh is working to build some zones and spaces for upholding the minority’s cultural values, restore tangible cultural objects, develop five community-based tourism sites, capitalise on intangible cultural values, and step up ethical and lifestyle education of the young generation.

Regarding the Hoa Binh Civilisation, the province has completed and submitted scientific dossiers to the Government to seek the recognition of the Trai Hamlet Cave and Vanh Village Stone Shelter in Lac Son district as special national relic sites.

The local administration has established a steering board for implementing the plan on preserving and promoting the values of the Muong ethnic culture and the Hoa Binh Civilisation during 2023 - 2030. It is also promoting cultural integration into the world so as to further bring into play the values of the Muong ethnic culture and the Hoa Binh Civilisation in the time ahead.