(HBO)- The Dinh Ngoi (Ngoi Communal House) festival 2019 kicked off in Su Ngoi commune of Hoa Binh city on February 13 (the 9th day of the first lunar month of the Year of Pig 2019).
The rite of Via Lua (Rice God) procession to the Ngoi
Communal House in the opening day of the festival
The festival annually takes place on the 8th-9thdays of thefirst lunar month to commemorate the gods of the village, who contributed
to building, preserving and protecting the country and the homeland. It also
aims to pray for a peaceful and happy new year, good harvests, and health for villagers.
The festival includes the procession of Via Nuoc (Water God) and Via Lua (Rice
God), worshipping, incense and alcohol offering in the communal house.
The festive activities include art exchanges, Muong gong performances, display
of Muong people’s foods, traditional sports competitions and folk games.
The festival contributes to maintaining and preserving
cultural and historical values of the locality. It also offers a chance for
locals to educate their traditions for young generations, as well as promote Hoa
Binh’s beliefs to visitors./.
As a land deeply intertwined with human history and Vietnam’s millennia-long journey of nation-building and defence, Hoa Binh is often revered for its epic tales and legends.
Residents of Hoa Binh boast a rich cultural identity, reflected in their unique language, traditional attire, customs, and folk melodies – described as "sweet as honey, clear as a mountain stream.”
Lac Son district’s Vu ban town held the 2025 Truong Kha temple festival on April 12–13 (the 15th–16th days of the third lunar month). Since its revival in 2019, the festival has been organised every three years, preserving valuable intangible heritage while meeting the community’s cultural and spiritual needs.
The clothing of women reflects the culture of the Muong, Thai, Tay, Dao, and Mong ethnic groups in the northern province of Hoa Binh.
Gongs hold a special place in the cultural and spiritual life of the Muong ethnic people in Hoa Binh province. More than musical instruments, they are an indispensable part of community rituals and collective memory, echoing through generations as a spiritual thread linking the past, present, and future.
Preserving and promoting the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group has become an urgent task in the current context, as many traditional values face the risk of fading away. This effort requires not only protecting the cultural identity but also eliminating outdated customs and developing a modern cultural lifestyle, contributing to sustainable values for the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.
The Muong ethnic culture, deeply rooted in Vietnam’s mountainous north, continues to be preserved and revitalised by dedicated individuals and communities determined to safeguard their ancestral identity.
.jpg)
