(HBO) - The people of ethnic groups in Kim Boi district of Hoa Binh district have been proud to belong to the Muong Dong area - one of the four Muong regions (Bi - Vang - Thang - Dong) which is rich in cultural identity.
Meritorious artist Bach Thi Dao in Xuan Thuy commune
(Kim Boi district) teaches folk singing to young people.
At present, residents in Xuan Thuy, Vinh Tien, Vinh Dong,
Kim Lap and Nam Thuong communes are still keeping a large number of Muong
gongs. Most of the hamlets and wards have established art teams, equipped with
12 gongs for practice and performance. Clubs have been set up in several
localities to preserve cultural identity, with focus on preserving and
promoting the value of Muong gong art and Muong folk songs.
Meritorious artist Bach Thi Dao, head of the Muong folk
singing and gong club in Xuan Thuy commune, said that from the love for Muong
culture, with the permission of the local Party Committee and authorities, the
club was set up and has operated regularly. The club is also often invited to
perform to serve tourists at Kim Boi Mineral Spring resort.
This year, due to complicated developments of the COVID-19
pandemic, the Muong Dong festival did not have festive activities as in
previous years, but still held the ritual ceremony with the participation of
more than 200 people living in Vinh Dong commune and some neighboring communes.
The festival has been re-acted from the 2017 Lunar New Year on the 7th and 8th
days of the first lunar month.
According to Nguyen Thanh Ha, head of the district's
Division of Culture and Information, in recent years, along with the Muong Dong
festival, other traditional festivals have been re-acted and organised,
contributing to the promotion of local culture and tourism. They include the
Xuong Mua (going to the field) festival in Chanh hamlet of Vinh Dong commune;
Sim pagoda festival - Sim Ngoai hamlet, Hop Tien commune; Lap communal house
festival - Lap hamlet, Kim Lap commune; Ne pagoda festival - Ne hamlet, Xuan
Thuy commune; Boi pagoda festival - Boi Ca hamlet, Nam Thuong commune; Ba Bi
Communal House - Ba Bi hamlet, Hung Son commune; and Da pagoda festival - Treo
hamlet, Tu Son commune./.
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.
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