(HBO) - Authorities of Hoa Binh have exerted great efforts to preserve the culture value of traditional markets of ethnic minorities in the province.
Pa Co market in Mai Chau
district offers a chance for tourists to enjoy interesting experiences of
national cultural identity.
Tourists should not miss the opportunity to join Lung Van market (also known as
Bo market) in Tan Lac district every Tuesday. On the day, local residents bring
to the market unique products and specialties for sale. Most of the items on
sale are bitter and sour bamboo shoots, mac khen anddoi seeds,
handicrafts, traditional textile textile products, and medicine of Dao and
Muong people.
According to Xa Van Tuan in Chieng Cang hamlet, Muong Chieng commune (Da Bac
district), almost those who go to the market is well-dressed and they are very
friendly. They come to meet friends and relatives, and participate in
traditional cultural and art activities.
One thing that is easy to see in many markets is that ethnic minorities,
especially Tay and Dao people in Da Bac district, Muong people in Tan Lac, Lac
Son and Kim Boi districts; and Mong people in Mai Chau district, always have a
sense of preserving their cultural identity through the language and clothes
they wear when going to the market.
However, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and
Tourism Luu Huy Linh said the local authorities have faced challenges in
preserving traditional markets in ethnic minority areas.
The increasing population along with the process of urbanisation have narrowed
the space of markets. The growing number of goods and shoppers have limited
space for cultural activities in markets.
As part of the efforts to preserve traditional markets in the locality, the
People’s Committee of Mai Chau district put a market model in the district into
operation in 2019, aiming to promote national cultural identities and attract
tourists. The market is organised every Sunday, becoming an attractive
destination for domestic and international tourists.
Recently, initiated by a member of Cha Day village’s farmers’ association, a
night market model for cultural exchange is held once a week on Saturday in Pa
Co commune of Mai Chau district, helping to promote socio-economic and tourism
development in the locality./.
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.