HBO – For members of the Muong ethnic minority group, gongs are a valuable treasure and the soul of the region. They are preserved in every house and used in many major events in Hoa Binh province. In most of the cases, festivals are not started until the gongs sound.
Gong team in Ngoi hamlet, Ngoi Hoa commune,
Tan Lac district rehearses before participating in a team to pay Tet visits to local
households.
The
Muong ethnic group has 37 big festivals, of which 26 use gongs. Gong
performances have left deep impressions on locals and tourists. Gongs are
descended from one generation to another. Preserving ancient gongs and gong
performances is an important mission of every Muong ethnic. At present, the
province has more than 10,000 gongs.
Some
districts pioneered opening classes and inviting artisans to teach how to beat
gongs such as Kim Boi, Lac Son and Tan Lac. Each class has about 30
participants. In addition, to preserve the value of Muong gongs, local authorities
have stepped up disseminations, and encouraged and supported locals to develop
amateur art movements, thus attracting the participation of more than 2,000
locals who work as farmers, artists and communicators to make traditional gong
performances of the Muong ethnic group, contributing to the maintenance of the
sound of gongs.
During
the New Year festival, in each home, gongs are beaten to invite ancestors to return
home for Tet. The sound of gongs, combined with "sac bua” singing, heats up the
festive atmosphere. Normally, each gong team has 12 gongs symbolizing the 12
months in a year and is called a "Phuong bua”. Each "Phuong bua” is headed by
an old person called "trum phuong” who is an expert in gong types and knows
numerous Muong folk songs.
According
to the custom, "Phuong bua” plays gongs in its procession, visits each
household, and sings a song to wish the host prosperity. "Phuong bua” paying
Tet visits must be experts in gong beating. Girls must wear traditional
costumes of the Muong ethnic group. Gong performances used on this occasion are
cheerful and suitable for the spring atmosphere. An important thing is that
members of the gong team must have radiant faces and be well-spoken. When they
concentrate on gong beating, the sound will be attractive and pervasive,
according to Bui Thi Bach Kim in Cao Phong district’s Xuan Phong commune.
In
addition, the sound of the gong is a signal to open the region’s festival./.
The People’s Committee of Lac Son district held a ceremony on April 28 to receive the provincial relic certificate for the ancient rock carving site at Suoi Co stream, located in My Thanh commune.
A special music show titled "The country is in the fullness of joy” has been held at Hoa Binh Square in Hoa Binh city in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975–2025).
The People's Committee of Lo Son commune, Tan Lac district, has organised the local annual traditional stream fishing festival on April 19 - 20.
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.
