The Hoa Binh People's Committee planned to hold a mountainous market fair annually from next year to promote the province’s trade and tourism as well as preserve the unique cultural identities of ethnic groups in the province.
Kim Boi district has worked to preserve and promote the cultural trait of the local Muong ethnic minority group, taking them as a mission to popularise and effectively carry out the Party’s guidelines and the State’s regulations.
In early December, the Hoa Binh Party Committee's Mass Mobilisation Commission successfully organised a competition of smart mass mobilisation in building new-style rural areas, leaving a profound impression and achieving high efficiency.
Located about 9km from the centre of Lac Son district, Vu Binh commune is home to 20 hamlets with 2,581 households and 11,925 people, more than 90% of whom are Muong ethnic people. Implementing the movement of "All people stay united to build a civilised lifestyle”, it has obtained many encouraging results, thus contributing to local socio-economic development.
Born and raised in Lieu hamlet, Ngoc Luong commune, Yen Thuy district - a village rich in cultural tradition, from an early age Mr. Quach Cong Son was immersed in Cheo singing melodies. Therefore, although life is still difficult and difficult, Mr. Son is aware of the need to preserve the unique cultural values of his homeland. The passion for folk melodies continues to grow in his soul.
The recent 2023 folk art festival of ethnic minority groups in Hoa Binh province featured outstanding performance of songs and dances as well as reenactments of outstanding festivals, leaving good impression on folk art lovers.
Generations of Muong Dong people have preserved "com lam” (rice in bamboo tube), a traditional dish left by their ancestors. Through many ups and downs, the people of Mo Da area, Bo town, Kim Boi district, still retain the "soul" of the profession, creating unique products. Currently, Muong Dong "com lam" has become a famous dish loved by many people, and widely sold at the mineral spring tourist area.
Authorities of Yen Thuy district have implemented a series of measures to preserve and uphold the value of tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the locality. The district has 12 cultural and historical relic sites, and scenic spots, including three national relics – Chua Cave and Hang Pagoda in Yen Tri commune, Thien Ton water Cave in Ngoc Luong commune, and Thien Long Cave in Lac Luong commune; and nine provincial-level relics.
Nearly 20 years ago, Dr. Nguyen Van Viet, Director of the Centre for Prehistoric Southeast Asian Studies, discovered worn movement vestiges in the south of the entrance of the Trai hamlet cave in Tan Lap commune of Lac Son district. At that time, those vestiges, dating back 8,000 - 9,000 years, were 60 - 70cm underground and almost intact.
In the evening of November 24th, at the Provincial Cultural Palace, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism organized a public performance, summarizing and awarding the Folk Art Festival of Ethnic Minorities in 2023 in Hoa Binh province with the theme "Preserving and promoting the traditional cultural identity of the ethnic minorities in Hoa Binh province”.
The People’s Committee of Luong Son district on November 21 held a ceremony to announce the recognition of Lai Tri communal house in Thanh Cao commune as a provincial-level historical relic site, and hand over the certificate to leaders of Thanh Cao commune.
Located on the right bank of the Da river in Quynh Lam ward, Hoa Binh city, the Ngoi communal house was recognised as a provincial-level historical and cultural relic in 1999. Upholding traditions, locals often come to the place on major festivals, full-moon days, and the first day of each lunar month, burning incense to honour deities and pray for favourable weather and good harvests.
In recent years, the movement of mass culture and arts in Kim Boi district has been maintained and developed, contributing to preserving and promoting traditional cultural values and building a cultural life at the grassroots level.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recently announced a list of new intangible national cultural heritage items, one of which is the Keng Loong performance art of the Thai people in Mai Chau district, the northern province of Hoa Binh.
In order restore brocade weaving of the Thai ethnic group, with the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Chieng Chau Brocade Weaving and Tourism Services Cooperative was established in Chieng Chau commune (Mai Chau district) in 2009.
Holding some 18,000 exhibits related to the province’s establishment and re-establishment process and an array of antiques, Hoa Binh Museum has paid due attention to the management, exhibition, and communications work so as to preserve and promote the values of the local heritage.
In the aesthetic concept of the Mong people, a woman's beauty is partly reflected through her clothes. In Mai Chau district, there are two communes inhabited by the Mong ethnic people, namely Hang Kia and Pa Co, with a combined population of over 6,000. Despite the strong development of the society, the cultural identity, notably traditional costumes, of local people is still preserved and promoted.
Traditional cultural values of Muong people have been preserved well in Chien hamlet, Van Son commune, Tan Lac district.
Located about 4 km away from the commune’s centre and at an altitude of 800 m above sea level, Chien hamlet is known as a peaceful and beautiful Muong village.
The People’s Committee of Hoa Binh held a meeting on November 9 to discuss the progress of the building of a national dossier on Mo Muong cultural heritage to submit to the UNESCO to seek the inclusion in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
Trac village in Lac Thinh commune of Yen Thuy district organised the National Great Solidarity Festival 2023 on November 4, which was attended by Bui Van Khanh, Deputy Secretary of the Hoa Binh Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, and Nguyen Tien Sinh, member of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Committee’s Inspection Commission.
As the Muong ethnic people make up more than 63% of Hoa Binh province’s population, joint efforts have been made to preserve the Muong language. The Muong community in the province now use both Vietnamese and their mother tongue daily with the latter preferred in communication in family life.
(HBO) – Through their daily life and work, Muong ethnic people in Hoa Binh province have created, developed, and upheld distinctive cultural values. A contributor to their unique culture is traditional costumes and the art of decorating skirt waistbands.