(HBO) – Despite changes in their modern life, an increasing number of Muong ethnic women seek their ways back to their old days by wearing traditional dresses to celebrate lunar New Year (Tet) instead of modern outfits.
Muong Dong ethnic women in
Kim Boi district in traditional costumes prepare a tray of their signature
dishes.
In an interview with
reporters from the Hoa Binh Newspaper, Bui Thi Hao from Chanh hamlet in Vinh
Dong commune said with delight that in her village, elderlies wear Muong costumes
every day while younger women prefer Muong dresses for the occasions of
festivals, ceremonies, and weddings.
According to her, all
women in her village own at least one traditional dress and a silver chain belt,
passed down as a special keepsake among women in their families for
generations.
A traditional Muong dress
consists of a white shirt and long black skirt. The outfit, which is suitable
for different body sizes, keeps its wearer comfortable in the cool weather in spring
but is still elegant enough. Nowadays, the shirt has more colours than just
white due to local women’s preferences.
Life is changing. Muong
people’s stilt houses have been replaced with cement ones, and parts of their
language and traditions modified. However, their costume embodies a strong
power to survive and even thrive in the modern life./.
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.