(HBO)- The Dinh Ngoi (Ngoi Communal House) festival 2019 kicked off in Su Ngoi commune of Hoa Binh city on February 13 (the 9th day of the first lunar month of the Year of Pig 2019).
The rite of Via Lua (Rice God) procession to the Ngoi
Communal House in the opening day of the festival
The festival annually takes place on the 8th-9thdays of thefirst lunar month to commemorate the gods of the village, who contributed
to building, preserving and protecting the country and the homeland. It also
aims to pray for a peaceful and happy new year, good harvests, and health for villagers.
The festival includes the procession of Via Nuoc (Water God) and Via Lua (Rice
God), worshipping, incense and alcohol offering in the communal house.
The festive activities include art exchanges, Muong gong performances, display
of Muong people’s foods, traditional sports competitions and folk games.
The festival contributes to maintaining and preserving
cultural and historical values of the locality. It also offers a chance for
locals to educate their traditions for young generations, as well as promote Hoa
Binh’s beliefs to visitors./.
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.
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