In a bid to preserve and introduce Muong culture to a wider audience across the country, in August, artist Vu Duc Hieu officially brought to the capital city pottery works inspired by the Muong ethnic community in Hoa Binh province by creating a rich cultural space at 85 Nhat Chieu street in Tay Ho district.
Over 130 Muong-inspired pottery works displayed at 85 Nhat Chieu street in Tay Ho district of Hanoi.
The special pottery line came into existence in September 2014 when Hieu chose the name of "Gom Muong (Muong pottery)” for his related workshop and ceramic works completed at the Muong Cultural Space Museum at 202 Tay Tien Street, Thai Binh ward, Hoa Binh city.
Unlike other ceramics on the market, the line does not follow any preset patterns, drawing inspiration mainly from the history, culture, members, and land of the Muong ethnic community in Hoa Binh. Remarkably, over 90% of the materials used in crafting and firing the pottery, such as clay, ash glaze additives, and other distinctive ingredients, are sourced locally, particularly from the areas surrounding the museum. Each Muong-inspired pottery piece embodies the soul and emotions of the artist, narrating stories of the Muong culture and its people.
Art researcher Vu Huy Thong remarked, from the raw materials of the earth, through the skilled hands of the artists, the pottery transcends the limits of materials, becoming a unique art form that reflects the blend of tradition and modernity as well as the local and the global traits.
Talking about his passion, Hieu shared, "As an artist, I want culture and art to develop together and use cultural history to create artistic stories. Over the past decade, we've regularly organised workshops and art festivals, both at home and abroad to introduce our Muong pottery. Beyond fostering exchanges and learning, my greatest hope is that artists will explore the local culture of the Muong people and Vietnamese culture at large".
He noted that when artists find inspiration there and produce their art, they help extend the Muong culture to communities at home and abroad.
After ten years of tireless efforts, his pottery line has made significant strides, gradually establishing a name in the Vietnamese ceramic industry. In 2014, its first pieces were showcased at an exhibition at 83 Xuan Dieu, Hanoi. In 2017, a related workshop brought together over 30 sculptors and painters passionate about ceramics from various places to create works on-site, leaving behind valuable experiences, new methods, and high-quality products.
To bring Muong-inspired pottery closer to art lovers in Hanoi, the "Mo xuong gom Muong (Opening the Muong pottery workshop)" event in August 2024 was meticulously prepared by Hieu and his colleagues, marking the 10th anniversary of the workshop’s operations and displaying more 130 selected works from various artists at the workshop over the past decade.
As a land deeply intertwined with human history and Vietnam’s millennia-long journey of nation-building and defence, Hoa Binh is often revered for its epic tales and legends.
Residents of Hoa Binh boast a rich cultural identity, reflected in their unique language, traditional attire, customs, and folk melodies – described as "sweet as honey, clear as a mountain stream.”
Lac Son district’s Vu ban town held the 2025 Truong Kha temple festival on April 12–13 (the 15th–16th days of the third lunar month). Since its revival in 2019, the festival has been organised every three years, preserving valuable intangible heritage while meeting the community’s cultural and spiritual needs.
The clothing of women reflects the culture of the Muong, Thai, Tay, Dao, and Mong ethnic groups in the northern province of Hoa Binh.
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.
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