(HBO) - The entire political system and people of Hoa Binh province have joined hands in carrying out synchronous and long-term solutions to help Mo Muong win the UNESCO’s recognition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Mo Muong is a rite of reciting Mo (poetry) during rituals of the Muong people, in which the Thay mo (shaman) plays the main role.
Mo Muong recitations are part of 23 Muong rituals, including funerals, in which
tens of thousands of Mo lines are recited throughout 12 days and nights, which
demonstrates the essence and core values of the Mo tradition. Currently, there
are many collections of Mo versions, of which three main ones have been
published.
Mo Muong ritual is enacted at the art performance "Hoa Binh – Thanh am
xu Muong” in 2022.
The provincial authorities received the sponsorship of the Vietnam Federation
of UNESCO Associations to preserve and promote Mo Muong in 2015.
Since 2016, special heed has been paid to protecting and promoting the cultural
heritage. The provincial People's Committee established a Steering Committee
for Mo Muong Hoa Binh and thanks to the province's efforts, the heritage was
listed among the national intangible cultural heritage.
Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Bui Thi
Niem said a series of specific measure have been taken to preserve and uphold
the value of the intangible cultural heritage.
Accordingly, the locality is actively conducting a project on preserving and
promoting the unique cultural values of the Mo Muong Hoa Binh cultural heritage
in 2019 - 2025 period and the following years, focusing on building a dossier
to seek the UNESCO’s recognition for Mo Muong to be included in the UNESCO List
of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
This aims to raise awareness and responsibility of the local community and
people nationwide about the value of intangible cultural heritage, and
encourage the community to join in the preservation work.
Nguyen Van Toan, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, head of
the Steering Committee for Mo Muong Hoa Binh, said every year, the committee
issued a plan of tasks to be implemented to preserve the Mo Muong cultural
heritage value.
In 2022, the committee has mobilised all resources and participation of all
sectors to well perform the tasks, he stressed./.
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.