Born and growing in the heroic land of Muong Dong, Dinh Thi Kieu Dung, a resident in Bo town of Kim Boi district, in her childhood was nurtured by the sweet lullabies of her grandmother and mother. These melodies deeply imprinted on her soul, becoming an inseparable part of her love for her ethnic group's culture. For over 20 years, this love for her hometown has driven Dung to research, collect, and pass down the cultural values of the Muong people to future generations.
Dinh Thi Kieu Dung, a resident in Bo town of Kim Boi district, teaches the Muong culture to the younger generation.
Dung shared: "Growing up, I often self-studied and took notes on folk verses, traditional rhymes, and the old gong songs of our ancestors. During my time working in the cultural sector, I pursued my dream of breathing life into the Muong culture so it would continue to shine. I frequently visited hamlets and met with the elders there to collect ancient gong songs and folk melodies passed down from our forefathers. I always uphold a strong sense of responsibility in studying and following the ideology, moral example, and style of President Ho Chi Minh, contributing my small part to the preservation and promotion of our ethnic cultural identity in an era of integration when these values risk fading away.”
Dung added that the gongs form a vital part of the Muong spirit – a "sacred treasure”. Its sound is the voice of the Muong soul, the voice of mountains, forests, and streams harmonising with the daily life of local people. To preserve and ring into play the intangible cultural value of the Muong gongs, she has taught gong-playing skills to culture cadres and grassroots art teams.
While working in the district's cultural sector, Dung was an energetic and dedicated civil servant who excellently fulfilled her duties. With her passion for the profession and respect for the Muong ethnic culture, especially folk singing and gongs, she trained 14 gong teams with over 200 artisans in the district and neighbouring areas. Since 2004, her classes have taught more than 500 people the basics of playing gongs and singing Muong folk songs.
After retiring in 2016, she has devoted much of her time to voluntarily teaching gong playing and folk singing skills to children aged 8 to 15. She believes that passing down culture to the young not only helps preserve the ethnic identity but also enhance connectivity between generations.
During her teaching, Dung has selected promising students for further training and prepared them to perform at cultural exchanges and local festivals. She has also compiled two books on the Muong folk melodies and the art of gong playing of the Muong Dong people in efforts to maintain the beautiful cultural heritage of the ethnic group for future generations.
Bui Van Dat, Vice Chairman of the Bo town People’s Committee, said that Dung is a shining example who actively promotes and encourages the local community to adhere to the Party’s policies and the State’s laws, and build a great national unity bloc. She is also a typical role model in studying and following the ideology, moral example, and style of President Ho Chi Minh. Her dedication has helped preserve and promote the ethnic group's values and also contributed to local socio-economic development.
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