(HBO) - In 2016, the gongs of the Muong ethnic group were honoured as national intangible cultural heritage. Through ups and downs, they have been respectfully preserved and affirmed a special position in the cultural life of people in the Hoa Binh.
Artisan Nguyen Thi Hinh (second
right), Lam Son commune (Luong Son) teaches Muong gongs to women in the area.
According to statistics, the province houses
about 10,000 Muong gongs. Fortunately, in recent years, the instruments have
been treasured by local families as a sacred and precious object in the house.
Many young people, even elementary and junior high school students, also know
how to play the gongs.
In order to promote the value of Muong gongs and
introduce them to domestic and international friends, in recent years, the
provincial centre for culture and cinema has opened classes teaching people in
homestay areas to play the instrument.
As a result, the tourist villages of Hien Luong,
Tien Phong, and Suoi Hoa communes have created their own imprints and
identities with gongs, attracting many tourists.
Meanwhile, Muong gong performance has become one
of the indispensable contents of local festivals at all levels. On the occasion
of the province's 125th founding anniversary, the performance of 1,000 people
from four Muong regions playing 1,000 gongs set a Guinness record. On Hoa
Binh’s 130th founding anniversary, the record was broken by a performance of
1,500 gongs.
Luu Huy Linh, Deputy Director of the provincial
Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that for the Muong people in
Hoa Binh, gongs are not just a musical instrument but have become an
indispensable cultural and spiritual value in their community life.
According to Linh, the local Muong ethnic group
currently has nearly 40 major festivals, 90 percent of which employ gong music.
Recently, Muong gong art has also been included in major political and cultural
events of the province in a unique way, leaving a deep impression on locals and
tourists at home and abroad. Many families have even bought 1-2 sets of gongs
to use and hang them in solemn positions in the house as a proof of love and
pride for the national cultural identity./.
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.
