(HBO) – The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hoa Binh recently held the 2018 art festival for the province’s outstanding grassroots-level art troupes, in Lac Thuy district.

Organisers
present memorial flags to participating troupes.

Performance
of the art troupe in Vai hamlet, Thanh Nong commune (Lac Thuy district)
Nearly 300 artists, actors and actresses from 11 outstanding grassroots-level
art teams in 11 districts and cities participated in the festival. They
represented more than 2,000 art troupes in all villages, hamlets and
residential clusters in Hoa Binh province.
During the two-day event, the art troupes staged nearly 40
performances praising patriotism, the Communist Party of Vietnam and President
Ho Chi Minh, and the national target programme on building new-style rural
areas.
According to organisers, the performances this year were of better
quality compared to the previous edition, as the teams had thoroughly prepared
content, costumes, and props. Each programme was built on a consistent theme
which is close to people’s lives.
Notably, most of the troupes used folk melodies, dances and
traditional music instruments in their performances, thus creating a colourful
art festival which aimed to honour, preserve and develop traditional cultural
values.
At the end of the festival, organisers presented four first prizes,
eight second, and 12 third prizes, along with 12 consolation prizes in singing
and dancing categories.
In general, the first prize was granted to the art troupe from Vai
hamlet, Thanh Nong commune (Lac Thuy district).
Those from Moi Mit hamlet of Yen Mong commune (Hoa Binh city) and
Du 7A hamlet of Mong Hoa commune (Ky Son district) received second prizes.
The third prizes were given to troupes from Van hamlet, Mai Chau
town (Mai Chau district), Lien Tien hamlet in Ngoc Luong commune (Yen Thuy
district), and Ma hamlet, Bac Phong commune (Cao Phong district) while five
consolation prizes were presented to the remaining teams./.
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.