Nguyen Manh Tuan, a Muong ethnic man in Ba Hang Doi town, Lac Thuy district, is known as a young, dedicated, and outstanding artisan who has made significant contributions in collecting, restoring, and preserving national cultural values.
(Photo: Outstanding artisan Nguyen Manh Tuan, Ba Hang Doi town,
Lac Thuy district, introduces artifacts to visitors at Muong cultural space).
Tuan was raised up and nurtured with Mother Goodness worship tradition in his
childhood. In 2012, after working for nearly 13 years in the armed forces, Tuan
demobilised and returned to the locality and, with a great desire to preserve
cultural values of the ethnic group, he restored the Muong stilt house and
studied the ancient and present Muong ethnic customs in funerals, weddings,
festivals, singing dances, gongs, stork instruments, flute pipes, and Muong
language, among others to teach young generation to understand the culture of
their people.
In November 2022, Tuan established a Muong ethnic cultural heritage club where
he can spread the love to his compatriot. The club has attracted the
participation of more than 200 regular members.
Covering an area of 750 sqm, the space displays more than 2,000 artifacts which
are familiar in the daily life in the Muong ethnic people, including 100 gongs;
120 bronze, 200 pottery, and 250 wooden items; 45 animal horn pieces; 150
fabric products, blankets, brocade pillows, costumes; 250 rattan products; 55
ethnic musical instruments; nearly 150 Muong cultural books; and nearly 200
other widgets and composite products, among others.
Besides, Tuan has directed many events of the locality and he has effectively
maintained the training on Muong gong culture, songs, dances, folk games, and
language for young generation. With tireless efforts, the artisan was awarded the title of Excellent Artisan
in the field of social practices and beliefs in 2022.
With numerous contributions to the preservation and promotion of the racial
cultural identity, he is also an outstanding example in charity and social
security work in the locality.
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.
.jpg)
