(HBO) – In July 2022, Hoa Binh province’s bamboo calendar of "khaw Doi” (khao Roi, Roi constellation) was recognised as part of the national intangible cultural heritage. This creates a great joy for not only the Muong ethnic group but also the Vietnamese people since the calendar is a long-standing demonstration of folk knowledge that has been upheld and applied to daily activities by Muong people throughout history.
Each Muong area in Hoa Binh has a different name for this bamboo calendar such as "khech Doi” (Doi book, Doi calendar) in Tan Lac, Cao Phong and Lac Son districts, or "fac ben” (notch carving) in some other places.
Culture researcher Bui Noi said for more than 1,000 years, the calendar has been shown on 12 bamboo bars that are about 25cm to over 30cm in length. The bars are inscribed with 30 notches representing 30 days in a lunar month. The notches are signs or symbols demonstrating the weather factors or astronomic phenomena believed to affect those days.
"Ngai khaw Roi” (khaw Đoi) in the Muong language means the Roi/Doi day, or the day of the Roi constellation. Locals in the Muong Bi area of Tan Lac district use the word "Doi” instead of "Roi”. The Roi constellation is the Tua Rua constellation.
Tua Rua is a folk name in the Vietnamese language for the M45 (Pleiades) star cluster in the Taurus constellation. In Vietnam, it is often seen in the early morning in the beginning of June, and can be seen above the eastern horizon in the ninth and 10th lunar months.
Millennia ago, pre-history humans of the Hoa Binh Civilisation (over 20,000 - 7,000 years ago) observed the sky, the movement of the sun, the moon, and stars, weather conditions, as well as wind and sunlight directions to serve their daily life activities.
In the following periods – Phung Nguyen and Dong Son civilisations, humans found the movement paths and rules of the sun, the moon, and stars in each season, on the basis of which they decided months and years. In particular, they realised that when the "khaw Roi (Doi)” constellation appears in the east, from which the sun rises, it’s the time for sow rice seeds.
Vietnam people have a tradition of cultivating wet rice, so worshipping the sun and observing the Roi/Doi/Tua Rua constellation to determine the right time for rice cultivation are of critically importance.
Given this, Muong people named their bamboo calendar after this star
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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