(HBO) – In July 2022, Hoa Binh province’s bamboo calendar of "khaw Doi” (khao Roi, Roi constellation) was recognised as part of the national intangible cultural heritage. This creates a great joy for not only the Muong ethnic group but also the Vietnamese people since the calendar is a long-standing demonstration of folk knowledge that has been upheld and applied to daily activities by Muong people throughout history.
Each Muong area in Hoa Binh has a different name for this bamboo calendar such as "khech Doi” (Doi book, Doi calendar) in Tan Lac, Cao Phong and Lac Son districts, or "fac ben” (notch carving) in some other places.
Culture researcher Bui Noi said for more than 1,000 years, the calendar has been shown on 12 bamboo bars that are about 25cm to over 30cm in length. The bars are inscribed with 30 notches representing 30 days in a lunar month. The notches are signs or symbols demonstrating the weather factors or astronomic phenomena believed to affect those days.
"Ngai khaw Roi” (khaw Đoi) in the Muong language means the Roi/Doi day, or the day of the Roi constellation. Locals in the Muong Bi area of Tan Lac district use the word "Doi” instead of "Roi”. The Roi constellation is the Tua Rua constellation.
Tua Rua is a folk name in the Vietnamese language for the M45 (Pleiades) star cluster in the Taurus constellation. In Vietnam, it is often seen in the early morning in the beginning of June, and can be seen above the eastern horizon in the ninth and 10th lunar months.
Millennia ago, pre-history humans of the Hoa Binh Civilisation (over 20,000 - 7,000 years ago) observed the sky, the movement of the sun, the moon, and stars, weather conditions, as well as wind and sunlight directions to serve their daily life activities.
In the following periods – Phung Nguyen and Dong Son civilisations, humans found the movement paths and rules of the sun, the moon, and stars in each season, on the basis of which they decided months and years. In particular, they realised that when the "khaw Roi (Doi)” constellation appears in the east, from which the sun rises, it’s the time for sow rice seeds.
Vietnam people have a tradition of cultivating wet rice, so worshipping the sun and observing the Roi/Doi/Tua Rua constellation to determine the right time for rice cultivation are of critically importance.
Given this, Muong people named their bamboo calendar after this star
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.
.jpg)
.jpg)
