(HBO) –Trai cave is one of prehistoric caves related to the Hoa Binh Culture. The relic was ranked as a national historical site by the then Ministry of Culture and Sports (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) in 2001. Since its discovery, the cave has attracted a large number of Vietnamese and foreign scientists.
Trai cave in Lac Son’s
Tan Lap commune has been preserved to serve tourism and studying activities on the
Hoa Binh Culture.
Located on the east side of an independent mountain on the
bank of Lan stream, the 13m-deep cave has an arc-shape mouth of about 8m wide
and 10m high. The cave is filled with sunlight and clear air during daytime.
According to Nguyen Thi Thu Hien from the Hoa Binh museum,
the cave houses traces of the Hoa Binh Culture, the earliest of its type in the
Red River basin. Since its discovery in 1975, various research and excavations have
been conducted here, which unearthed over 5,000 artifacts. Most of the artifacts
are shells of stream snails, tools and pieces of pottery, and rice, among
others, which are the clearest evidence of a primitive wet rice farming in the
Hoa Binh Culture.
In 2008, preservation work was conducted in the relic to
serve both tourism and research purpose. In the coming time, together with a project on building an eco-urban,
resort, and high-end entertainment complex in Tan Lap’s Quy Hoa commune, the
cave will be further renovated to become an attractive tourist destination.
Meanwhile, locals will be trained to turn local specialties into tourism
products./.
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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