(HBO) - The entire political system and people of Hoa Binh province have joined hands in carrying out synchronous and long-term solutions to help Mo Muong win the UNESCO’s recognition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Mo Muong is a rite of reciting Mo (poetry) during rituals of the Muong people, in which the Thay mo (shaman) plays the main role.
Mo Muong recitations are part of 23 Muong rituals, including funerals, in which
tens of thousands of Mo lines are recited throughout 12 days and nights, which
demonstrates the essence and core values of the Mo tradition. Currently, there
are many collections of Mo versions, of which three main ones have been
published.
Mo Muong ritual is enacted at the art performance "Hoa Binh – Thanh am
xu Muong” in 2022.
The provincial authorities received the sponsorship of the Vietnam Federation
of UNESCO Associations to preserve and promote Mo Muong in 2015.
Since 2016, special heed has been paid to protecting and promoting the cultural
heritage. The provincial People's Committee established a Steering Committee
for Mo Muong Hoa Binh and thanks to the province's efforts, the heritage was
listed among the national intangible cultural heritage.
Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Bui Thi
Niem said a series of specific measure have been taken to preserve and uphold
the value of the intangible cultural heritage.
Accordingly, the locality is actively conducting a project on preserving and
promoting the unique cultural values of the Mo Muong Hoa Binh cultural heritage
in 2019 - 2025 period and the following years, focusing on building a dossier
to seek the UNESCO’s recognition for Mo Muong to be included in the UNESCO List
of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
This aims to raise awareness and responsibility of the local community and
people nationwide about the value of intangible cultural heritage, and
encourage the community to join in the preservation work.
Nguyen Van Toan, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, head of
the Steering Committee for Mo Muong Hoa Binh, said every year, the committee
issued a plan of tasks to be implemented to preserve the Mo Muong cultural
heritage value.
In 2022, the committee has mobilised all resources and participation of all
sectors to well perform the tasks, he stressed./.
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.
