(HBO) – Preparations are being made to submit documents relating to "Mo Muong" to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation to be added to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
The late
sorcerer Bui Van Cu, residing in Bung village of Lac Son district’s Huong
Nhuong commune, performs a Mo ritual.
"Mo Muong" is a sacred ritual that has been used in funerals and some
rituals to pray for the good health of the Muong ethnic minority people.
"Mo Muong" is a job and also a performance practiced at funerals,
religious festivals, and life cycle rituals by the ethnic Muongsorcerers.
It consists of three main components namely Mo words, performing environment
and people who practice mo singing.
Mo words are divided into ‘cat Mo’ and ‘roong Mo’, similar to chapters in
literature. Each Mo chapter has its own theme and purposein a funeral
ritual.
Through the generations, "Mo Muong" has been passed down verbally in
the community.
Each person's life in different ethnic groups has rituals associated with the
human life cycle: birth, adulthood and marriage. For the Muong people,
thefuneral is the final ritual of each person's life which he/she only
enjoys when they die.
Funeral and "Mo Muong" will help deal with problems relating to
"procedures" for the dead before they are buried.
The Muong people also provide knowledge for the dead through storytelling which
includes stories about the birth of the universe, the birth of people, the
struggle for survival in the wild and knowledge of folk geography.
There are many collections of Mo,of which three main ones have been
published. The existence of various versions of Mo has helped expand the
heritage and spiritual life of the Muong people.
According to folk cultural specialists, "Mo Muong" is classified into
three categories:Mo Nghi Le(Ceremonial Mo), Mo Ke Chuyen (Story
Telling Mo) andMo Nhom(Observe Mo), in which ashaman plays an
important role.
The shaman knowstens of thousands of lines of Moby heart, as well
as many traditional rituals and customs.
In Muong society, the shaman is an intellectual and reputable person. The role
of the shaman is associated with the human life cycle: birth, old age, sickness
and death. Prayers are given for people’s health, good luck, peace,
happinessand prosperity./.
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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