(HBO) – Mo Muong is a kind of heritage holding the special cultural essence of the Muong ethnic people. To seek the world heritage title for Mo Muong, it needs to be assessed in comparison with the Muong ethnic culture and similar heritage types in the world so as to highlight its unique values.
A Mo shaman practices a ritual in a house of
Muong people.
Mo Muong is a form of folk belief consisting of
three main factors: the environment for practices, Mo lyrics, and Mo artisans.
Recently, an international workshop on Mo Muong
and similar rituals of beliefs in the world has been held in Hoa Binh province
by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Musicology
Institute under the Vietnam National Academy of Music. It helped supplement
scientific information about Mo Muong and created a chance for the community
possessing this heritage to directly take part in the compilation of a dossier
seeking the UNESCO recognition of Mo Muong as part of world intangible cultural
heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.
Dr Do Quang Trong, Deputy Director of the Thanh
Hoa provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Dr Nguyen Van
Hai, Director of Thanh Hoa’s centre for history studies and cultural heritage
preservation, said Mo Muong is sacred folk rituals of the Muong ethnic minority
in funerals or ceremonies praying for good things.
It is associated with the human life cycle, they
said, elaborating that a Mo shaman prays for blessing for a newborn; expels
evil spirits from a sick person; performs rituals in weddings, ancestor worship
ceremonies, or new house celebrations; and serves as a bridge seeing off the
soul of the deceased to the afterlife.
About special values of Mo Muong, researcher and
Meritorious Artisan Bui Van Noi said the first outstanding value is its epic
characteristic with content related to the history of the Muong ethnic group
and humankind. The heritage also bears spiritual and custom values, teaches
people lessons about industriousness, along with values in terms of philosophy,
performing arts, and demonstration language.
Prof. and Dr Wolfgang Mastnak from Germany’s
University of Music and Performing Arts Munich held that Mo Muong matches many
UNESCO criteria for intangible cultural heritage such as its compatibility with
human rights and mutual respect for culture; being considered an indispensable
part of the cultural life by the community practicing it; and being deeply
rooted in the community and continuously passed down to future generations and
recreated.
Mo Muong reflects cultural diversity in the world
and also the creativity of humankind, he added.
However, amid the wave of modern cultures, Mo
Muong is facing the risk of disintegration, requiring all-round solutions to
preserve and bring it into play.
MA Vu Thanh Lich, Deputy Director of the Ninh Binh
provincial Department of Culture and Sports, and Dr Nguyen Thi Thanh Van from
the Hanoi University of Culture pointed out the need for concerted and strong
engagement from relevant parties, including local administrations, cultural
authorities, the community possessing the heritage, researchers, and relevant
organisations and individuals to uphold and promote the values of Mo Muong in
the Muong ethnic community./.
On February 12th (i.e. Lunar January 15), the People's Committee of Hop Tien commune, Kim Boi district organized the Festival of Sim Pagoda Festival in At Ty Spring, 2025. The festival welcomed many people and tourists to visit the pagoda and enjoy the scenery.
The palanquin procession to Sim Pagoda.
As Hoa Binh province is set to host 115 spring festivals, local departments, sectors and localities are joining hands to ensure safety for the events.
In many major cultural events in Hanoi, the sound of the Muong people's gongs has become a special tone, contributing to the unique harmony that praises the cultural values accumulated over thousands of years along with the sacred soul of the capital city.
On the first day back to work and school after the Lunar New Year holiday, thousands of female officials, civil servants, and students from grade nine and above in Lac Son district proudly wore the traditional Muong attire. The vibrant brocade patterns created a striking cultural display, reinforcing the community's commitment to preserving and promoting their heritage.
The provincial-level Khai Ha festival 2025 of the Muong ethnic minority group took place at Phong Phu commune’s stadium in Tan Lac district of Hoa Binh province on the morning of February 5 (the 8th day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Snake).
"Xuong Dong” (going to the field) festival opened in Yen Phu commune of Hoa Binh’s Lac Son district on February 5, or the eighth day of the Year of the Snake, drawing thousands of locals and visitors to partake in a variety of activities.
.jpg)
