(HBO) – Coming into being very early in the history of the Muong ethnic group and containing unique values, the bamboo calendar, called Doi or Roi calendar, of Muong people in Hoa Binh province was recently honoured as part of the national intangible cultural heritage. Basing on the time division in a year and the movement of the moon and stars, local residents discovered and have applied the rule of the nature to their daily life.
Photo: Mo artisan Bui Van Lung in Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district,
uses the bamboo calendar to forecast good days for local people’s affairs.
Bui Van Lung, a Mo Muong artisan in Muong Lam
hamlet of Phong Phu commune (Tan Lac district), said that the bamboo calendar
plays a special role in the life of the Muong community and also forms a
priceless treasure of folk knowledge. Aside from the popular Western calendar,
all production and daily activities, as well as customs, rituals, festivals and
important events of each person and family in the Muong community in Hoa Binh,
are based on the bamboo calendar.
The calendar comprises 12 carefully made bamboo
bars which are inscribed with notches, lines, and holes called symbols that
represent days, months, and natural phenomena in a month.
The bars are inscribed with 30 notches
representing 30 days in a lunar month.The days from the 1st to the 10th
are called "cay” days, the 11th to 20th "long” day, and the21st to 30th
"cuoi” days. Muong people often hold important events on the first days ("cay”
days) of a month.
At present, apart from being used in the community,
the bamboo calendar is also kept at the Muong Cultural Space Museum and the
private Museum of the Muong Culture in Hoa Binh city to preserve and introduce
it to local residents and visitors from far and wide.
Artisan Bui Thanh Binh, a researcher of the
Muong ethnic culture, said that the calendar is the quintessence built up over
many generations of Muong people and also a typical demonstration of the Muong
- Viet people’s consciousness of the world, obtained through their observation
of the movement of the moon and the Doi (Roi) constellation.
Until the late 20th century, the bamboo calendar
was still used across the areas of Muong people. Nowadays, there remain five
ancient sets of the bamboo calendar dating back hundreds of years and more than
100 new ones being used in the community in Hoa Binh province.
Together with the Khai Ha Festival, the bamboo
calendar of Muong people in Hoa Binh was recognised as part of the national
intangible cultural heritage in 2022.
Luu Huy Linh, Deputy Director of the provincial
Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, held that it is necessary to enhance
the bamboo calendar preservation, step up communications and research to teach
locals in how to apply it to their daily life, and make use of the calendar and
other special cultural heritage pieces to develop tourism./.
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.
The Muong group is one of the largest ethnic minorities in Vietnam, primarily found in Hoa Binh province. The Muong people in Hoa Binh boast a rich and diverse cultural treasure that reflects the unique identity of this ethnic group. Accounting for over 63% of the province's population, they have created and preserved numerous distinctive cultural values, contributing to their unique identity. Their cultural heritage is an invaluable asset, at the heart of their national identity, and represents a vibrant spiritual life that must be preserved and promoted in today’s modern world.
For generations, the ethnic communities of Hoa Binh province, particularly the Muong people, have preserved vibrant festivals deeply intertwined with the region’s geography, nature, and social traditions. These celebrations enrich Hoa Binh’s spiritual life and cultural identity, reflecting both folk beliefs and the intermingling of ethnic customs. Many of these festivals have endured the test of time, passed down through generations and continuing to thrive today. Among them, the Khai Ha (Going Down to the Field) festival stands out as one of the most significant events of the Muong ethnic group.
Muong calendar, known as sach doi, is an ancient folk knowledge system developed through observations of the movement of the pleiades star. This unique calendar consists of 12 bamboo sticks, each representing a lunar month. Specific days within each month are marked with distinct symbols, guiding locals in determining auspicious and inauspicious days for important activities.
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