(HBO) - For more than two years, Muong Khoi folk singing club in Bai hamlet of An Nghia commune (Lac Son) has regularly organised singing during festivals, full-moon days or simply in meetings of its members.
A
meeting of the Muong Khoi folk singing club in An Nghia commune (Lac Son).
Bui Van Chinh, head of the club, said that the
club has 17 members. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the club was very active, as
its members often met and sang together on normal days, along with local
festivals. In addition, the club also organised exchanges with Muong folk
singing clubs in the district and Thanh Hoa and Ninh Binh provinces. Due to the
complicated developments of the pandemic, large gatherings are banned, so the
club members meet in small groups to maintain practice. Besides the Muong Khoi
folk singing club, Lac Son district also sees dozens of other clubs with
hundreds of members.
Thanks to the Resolution of the fifth plenum of
the eighth Party Central Committee (Session VIII) on preserving and promoting
national cultural identities, Muong folk singing has received more and more
attention, becoming a highlight in festivals, contests and mass art shows.
Many artisans who are dedicated to the ancient
Muong folk songs have collected, recorded, and posted videos on Youtube
channel. The most typical is artisan Bui Huy Vong in Huong Nhuong commune.
Artisan Vong said that each type of performance
has its own strengths. Today, going around the district’s villages, hamlets,
and fields, people can hear Muong folk singing on TVs, smart phones and radios.
Some families have invited artisans to sing at weddings, tomb-sweeping
festival, and housewarming parties. This proves that the love for Muong folk
singing is still very deep among local people. Muong people-living areas in
Thanh Hoa province are also excited when they invite Lac Son district’s Muong
folk singing clubs to exchange.
With regular activities, Muong folk singing
clubs are gradually bringing folk songs back to people's daily lives. These
models have also made an important contribution to the preservation and
development of folk songs, folk dances and the unique cultural identity of the
Muong ethnic community in Hoa Binh province.
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.