(HBO) – At the age of 45, shaman Bui Van Minh, 53, a native from Man Bui village, Van Son commune, Lac Son district, was awarded with the title of People's Artisan by the President. In 2022, he was honoured with the title of People's Artisan in the category of social customs and beliefs. He became the first person in the province to receive this distinction.
People’s Artisan Bui Van Minh performs religious rituals at
Dinh Khenh festival in Van Son commune, Lac Son district.
The old stilt house located at the foot of
Mountain Khu Khenh has been Minh's living place since his childhood. It is also
a space where he proudly displays and introduces artifacts that he has
collected throughout his life. Nearly 1,000 artifacts, ranging from stone tools
to Muong artifacts, are being preserved and stored by him.
Minh said since he was 15, he has been searching
and collecting ancient artifacts and rare treasures of the Muong ethnic people
in caves around Muong Vang. With a deep passion and understanding for the preservation
and conservation of traditional cultural values of ethnic groups, he has
travelled throughout the four Muong regions (Bi, Vang, Thang, Dong) to acquire
these items for his collection. Among items on display in the stilt house,
there are many that are considered "one-of-a-kind", such as the water
pot of Ha Thi Teo, the beauty queen of Muong land, the adopted child of Quach
Vi, head mandarin of the Muong region in the early 20th century; the sword of
King Khai Dinh (1885-1925), and a set of 40 Muong gongs from the Tran Dynasty
(1225-1440). These priceless artifacts contribute to shaping the rich history
and unique cultural heritage of the Muong people and Muong land in Hoa Binh.
Besides, Minh inherited the craft of shaman from
his father, becoming the custodian and practitioner of the intangible cultural
heritage of Mo Muong customs and beliefs. In particular, he made significant
contributions to founding the Mo Muong club in Lac Son district, which brought
together nearly 50 artisans. Along with other members, he regularly
self-improved to have a full understanding of culture, political ideology,
revolutionary thought and scientific thinking. He actively collected
storytelling pieces to teach young shamen.
He himself spent much time joining in activities
of the clubs that preserve the cultural identity in schools, with a passion for
educating and passing on traditional cultural values to the younger
generations.
According to Tran Cong Lam, head of the Lac Son
district Party Committee’s Commission on Information and Education, Minh is a
source of pride for the Muong ethnic people and deserves to be a role model for
everyone to learn from and follow./.
Nguyen Phi Long, alternate member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee, and other officials on April 8 examined some key transport projects, namely the road connecting Tran Hung Dao Road and Dan Chu ward with National Highway 6, the regional connectivity road linking Hoa Binh and Hanoi with Son La Expressway (Hoa Binh - Moc Chau), and the first phase of a road from Luong Son township of Hoa Binh to Xuan Mai township of Hanoi.
Hoa Binh province recorded nearly 20 cases of religion-related wrongdoings in 2023 and the first two months of 2024. However, thanks to their active and effective engagement, relevant agencies and religious organisations have helped the provincial and district-level People’s Committees deal with those cases in a timely manner and in line with legal regulations, thus ensuring religious freedom.
The Hoa Binh provincial People’s Committee held its monthly conference in virtual form on April 2 to review draft documents to be submitted to the standing board of the provincial Party Committee and others under its management along with some other important issues. Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Bui Van Khanh chaired the event, which was connected with the people's committees of districts and cities in Hoa Binh.
Smokeless 'Hoang Cam' kitchen was a small yet extremely significant initiative of a soldier chef named Hoang Cam in the Hoa Binh campaign in 1951 – 1952. This legendary stove, later named after him, accompanied the nation in the 1954 Dien Bien Phu Campaign, and during the resistance war against the US.
The 15th meeting of Hoa Binh province’s 17th-tenure Party organisation was held on March 26. Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Phi Long, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People's Council Bui Duc Hinh, and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Bui Van Khanh co-chaired the event.
Nguyen Phi Long, alternate member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee, chaired a meeting of the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board on March 21 to review the leadership over the implementation of tasks in the first quarter, identify focal tasks and solutions for the second quarter, and discuss some important draft reports.