(HBO) – Up to 91 percent of the households of the specially disadvantaged commune of Doc Lap in Hoa Binh city belong to the Muong ethnic minority group and 7.3 percent to the Dao. Many of their cultural identities are still preserved today as seen in their languages, customs, and daily life activities. Besides, cultural and sports activities have also greatly helped with promoting those values.
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The gong team of Noi hamlet in Doc Lap commune (Hoa
Binh city) has regularly practiced and performed at festivals and other events,
helping to honour and preserve cultural values.
Bestowed with favourable conditions for
socio-economic development in all fields, Can hamlet is also known as one of
the Muong ethnic villages with rich identity. Not only using the Muong language
in their daily life, local residents also frequently wear traditional costumes
on big events, anniversaries, and festivals.
Dinh Van Minh, Secretary of the Party cell of Can
hamlet, said locals have stayed united to assist one another in economic
development and carry out movements and campaigns, including those on
developing a civilised lifestyle, abolishing backward customs, combating
crimes, and upholding cultural identities.
A club of traditional culture was established
here, attracting a large number of local residents, he said, noting that the
gong team of the elderly and cultural teams of women and young people have
shown many unique singing, dancing, and instrumental performances.
Muong Dao, a less privileged hamlet, derives its
name from those of the two ethnic groups residing here. Among the 170 local
households, 123 are from the Muong ethnic minority group and the rest, from the
Dao.
Nguyen Dinh Tuong, Secretary of the Party cell
of Muong Dao hamlet, said Dao people are well aware of the importance of
preserving their cultural identities. likewise, Muong people also respect and
maintain their group’s traditional cultural practices.
He added that the solidarity among the local
ethnic groups could be seen via cultural and sports activities at the great
national solidarity festival held in November 2020.
The preservation of cultural identities in
mountainous Doc Lap commune has spread across the remaining hamlets of Noi,
Nua, Mui, and Song.
Vice Chairman of the communal People’s Committee
Nguyen Van Phong said every year, local authorities build and implement plans
to uphold and bring into play traditional cultural identities.
Communications have been stepped up via local
meetings and campaigns. In particular, the Doc Lap Primary and Junior High
School has organised extracurricular sessions to educate students on conserving
the Muong culture, which have engaged hundreds of teachers and students,
according to the official.
Besides, sports activities have also helped with
cultural conservation. Folk sports like cane pushing, crossbow shooting, and
stilt walking have proved attractive to local residents.
This year, due to complex developments of
COVID-19, cultural activities have been suspended since the year’s beginning to
minimise mass gatherings.
Earlier, a wide range of cultural and sports
activities were held at the great national solidarity festival in late 2020,
helping to preserve and honour cultural identities of local Muong and Dao
people./.
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.
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