(HBO) - On February 21 (the sixth day of the Lunar New Year), at the stadium of Dung Phong commune, the Cao Phong district People's Committee held Muong Thang Season Opening Festival in the Year of the Dog 2018. This is the first year the festival is held with the scale of the district level, on the basis of upgrading the Farming Festival of the Muong ethnic group in Dung Phong commune.
The festival began with the worshiping of the
Three Mountainous Saints at the shrine of Muong Thang (Dong Ngoai village);
worshipping ceremony at the tomb of Princess Le (Xuong Dau village); Procession
Ceremony from Muong Thang Shrine to the stadium of Dung Phong commune. Here,
when the gong and music ended, the Mo person slowly walked up to read the
request for permission to open the festival in Muong ethnic language.
After the traditional ceremony, in the
opening session, the organizers highlighted the meaning of the Festival,
outlined the achievements of socio-economic development of the district and
told the activities during the Festival. The organizers of the festival desired
that the committees and administrations from the district to the communes,
towns and local people who are far from the homeland, visitors always aim for
the source, continue to invest, embellish, preserve and manage the Cultural
relics and revolutional relics to promote more valuable historical-cultural
relics, contributing to the history of cultural and Revolutional tradition of
Muong Thang homeland, building Dung Phong commune to become a strong, civilized commune, and leading in
the movement to build new rural agricultural area.

Art Program celebrating Muong Thang Season
Opening Festival in the Year of the Dog 2018.
The art program is started with the
performance of the Muong gongs of nearly 200 actors who are gong artists and
mass performers, which recreated the history of the festival, flower garden
legend, Coi mountain and introduced typical cultural characteristics and
typical products of Cao Phong district.
At the festival, visitors can visit, enjoy
the booth displaying, introducing cultural products, cuisine of the communes,
towns in the district. Besides, at the Festival, there are also performances of
singing Ví, Đúm, Muong gongs; organizing sports tournaments, folk games;
exchanging art performances and performing ethnic costumes.
According to the plan, Muong Thang Season
Opening Festival in the Year of the Dog 2018 would be held until the end of the
morning of February 22 (the 7th of Lunar New Year).
Hoa Binh province has carried out multiple programmes and initiatives to revive its cultural heritage which has gradually fallen into oblivion through the ebbs and flows of history.
The most prominent and defining feature in the prehistoric era of Hoa Binh is the Hoa Binh Culture. The Culture was first discovered in Hoa Binh. The significant prehistoric culture represents not only Vietnam but also Southeast Asia and southern China. Through excavations of cave sites in the limestone regions of Hoa Binh, French archaeologist M. Colani introduced the world to a "Stone Age in Hoa Binh province – Northern Vietnam" in 1927. On January 30, 1932, the First Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians, held in Hanoi, officially recognised the Hoa Binh Culture.
Known as the "Land of Epic History”, Hoa Binh province, the gateway to Vietnam’s northwest, boasts a strategic location and a unique cultural tapestry woven by its ethnic minority communities.
The People's Committee of Luong Son District recently held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Sau Communal House in Thanh Cao Commune as a provincial-level historical and cultural site.
Recognising the importance of cultural heritage preservation in protecting and promoting the value system of Vietnamese culture, and serving socio-economic development in the new period, Party committees and local administrations in Hoa Binh province have identified it as a key task in the cultural development strategy. The province has been making efforts in mobilising resources, creating consensus among people and engaging ethnic communities in preserving and promoting cultural identity.
Hoa Binh province has captured growing attention both domestically and internationally for its distinctive cultural heritage and rich history. Most notably, it has been renowned for its famous Hoa Binh culture, considered the cradle of ancient Vietnamese civilisation. Looking ahead to significant milestones in 2025 and the 140th anniversary of province establishment in 2026, Hoa Binh Newspaper presents a comprehensive overview of the province's development across economic, social, cultural, tourism, and security domains.