(HBO) - Lac Son is one of the four largest Muong ethnic minority districts in the province. The Muong ethnic population accounts for over 90% of the district population. Lac Son people are always aware of preserving and developing their ethnic cultural identity. Over the years, each stilt house has been preserved, Muong gongs and Muong Mo rhythm have been preserved. On holidays, from old to young women are dressed in traditional costumes.
The traditional festivals are restored and
preserved, such as the procession of The Buddha of Khu Dung Cave (Nhan Nghia
commune); Du Voi Festival (Lien Vu commune); Rock village roof festival (Yen
Phu commune), etc. Besides, the district also takes care of restoration of
revolutionary relics.
(photo: The art performance team of Mu
village, Tu Do commune practice regularly for holidays, Tet occasions).
Lac Son is one of the districts having the
most preserved stilt houses in the province. The District People's Committee mobilized
the people to preserve the traditional stilt houses and build a
concrete-floored stilt houses to protect the forest resources. At present, the
district has 18,640 houses on stilts, of which, wooden and bamboo stilt houses
accounts for 13,972 houses and stilts with concrete frame, wooden or bamboo
floors are 1,892 houses; total 2,776 houses of concrete stilt houses.
In addition, the district focuses on
preserving the unique values of Mo Muong rhythms. The District People's
Committee coordinates with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to
study and propose scientific dossiers of the Khot series of Muong ethnic
artists. The district has 50 Mo Muong artists, of which 2 study Mo Muong, Mr.
Bui Van Minh (Van Son commune) and Mr. Bui Huy Vong (Huong Nhuong commune). The
District People's Committee develops mechanisms and policies to preserve the
values of Mo Muong heritage and promote the propaganda and publicity of Mo
Muong cultural heritage.
On the holidays, Tet occasions, the
harvesting seasons, the gong echo resounds in each village. The district holds
over 3,000 gongs in all kinds. The old people teach the young people, the later
generations learn from the previous generation, so the gong is echoed
throughout the mountains. In many communes such as Nhan Nghia, An Nghia, Tan
Lap, 100% villages have gongs teams. Specialists and amateurs are present
everywhere from the village festival to the big festival of the district, the
province. The artisans have contributed significantly to raising awareness
about the value of traditional cultural heritage in the community and creating
their own culture identity for Lac Son land and people. People of communes and
towns also preserve many traditional and unique cultural characteristics of the
ethnic minority in music through Vi singing, common singing, etc.
Once a vibrant part of the daily life for the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh province, traditional Muong singing styles such as "thuong rang bo meng” and "hat dup giao duyen” had faded over time. Today, local authorities and communities are working to restore and celebrate this cultural art form, recognising its value in preserving the group’s heritage.
Gau Tao Festival, one of the most important traditional festivals of the Mong ethnic minority group in Mai Chau district was held at the Pa Co stadium in Pa Co commune on January 11.
The ancient stone engravings dating back thousands of years in Suoi Co valley in My Thanh commune, Lac Son district, used to astonished domestic archaeologists. What their meaning is and what message they convey are the questions to which scientists are seeking answers.
Preserving and promoting unique cultural identities of ethnic communities in Hoa Binh province is considered a crucial task amid in the international integration trend.
More than just a cultural and historical attraction, the Muong Cultural Heritage Museum is playing a vital role in fostering sustainable tourism in the Northwestern region of Vietnam, particularly in Hoa Binh province. It stands as a model for the emerging trend of "responsible tourism," cleverly blending the preservation of cultural heritage with community economic development, raising awareness of Muong ethnic cultural values while promoting green tourism and sustainable growth.
The provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on December 24 organised a conference to report on the results of collecting, researching, restoring, and preserving "Bi doi”, a musical instrument of the airophonic family and a traditional instrument of the Muong ethnic people in Da Bac district.