(HBO) – Purple sugarcane, attaching to the life of Muong ethnic minority since ancient time, is not only a crop of high economic value, but also an indispensable item in key events of the community, especially the Lunar New Year festival (Tet) and wedding ceremony.
When being children, we were often tasked with
going to the edge of the forest to cut fresh reeds to erect a neu pole and then
to fields to chop down a couple of sugarcane plants as decorations for Tet. We
kept fulfilling our tasks for the 27th day of the passing Lunar year’s last
month without ever wondering what is the meaning of the sugarcane. Years went
by; we grew up and learnt that the plants are also an integral part of any
wedding ceremonies in our community.
Once I posted a photo capturing a wedding
ceremony of a Muong couple. Under the post, a friend of mine from the
university raised a question that why the groom's family has to carry sugarcane
with them when going to the bride’s home.
The question prompted me to find an answer. I
asked many people from different ages; most of them told me it is the custom.
Feeling unsatisfied, I came to meet Bui Van Nhon, a manliving in Tan Lac
district’s Gia Mo commune who is dedicated to learning about the Muong ethnic
minority. Nhon shared my curiosity about the sugarcane and had spent time
collecting related materials and studying the custom. He said the plants’
presence on Tet or at wedding ceremonies is originated from a legend about the
Coi sisters.
Legend has it that once upon a time, there was a
giant mosquito in the land of Muong people, which annually fed on selected
locals. Then it was the Coi sisters’ turn to be the feed. The sisters loved
each other so much, and both were willing to give up their lives for the other
to survive. Unable to decide who would go, they went to the mosquito’s cave
together so that the mosquito could choose to eat the one it wanted. Waiting
for predator in front of its home during the freezing 12th month of the lunar
year, they cut wild sugarcane and collected bagasse from other victims to make
a fire for warmth. Unexpectedly, the smoke from their fire killed the monster.
Muong people appreciated what they did and the sugarcane has since become a
symbol of the sisters’ love and held a significant role in their life.
Of the same opinion is Bui Huy Vong, an artisan
of folk art. According to Vong, sugarcane is cultivated with its stalks, which
sprout when being placed on the ground. With such strong reproduction feature,
the plant becomes a symbol of fertility and growth, which match the expectation
of Muong people for a new year. Since ancient time, the community has brought
home a couple of sugarcanes on Tet. The selected ones, with their roots and
leaves left intact, must be long, strait, and beautifully coloured, and free
from pests and diseases.
Meanwhile, at a wedding ceremony, a carefully
selected couple of sugarcane must be carried by young male relatives of the
groom. The plants represent an aspiration for a sweet marriage life ahead,
while their carriers a hope for their first child to be a son.
In a word, all explanations show Muong people’s
yearning for warmth, sweetness, growth, and the elimination of evils and bad
things.
As the Year of the Buffalo approaches, we are
now living our childhood memories with the tasks of bringing sugarcane home and
watching for boiling pots of Banh Chung (square glutinous rice cake)./.
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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