The opening ceremony of the 2024-2025 academic year at Da Hop Inter-Level School in Huu Nghi ward, Hoa Binh city, featured a special gong performance by students.
The school has established a Muong gong team, where students learn how to play gongs and other musical instruments of the Muong ethnic group under the instruction of Meritorious Artisan Bui Tien Xo from Vinh Tien commune, Kim Boi district.
This is just one of the many schools in Hoa Binh province making dedicated efforts, each with its own approach, to preserve and promote traditional cultural traits.
A performance by students from Mai Chau B Boarding Secondary and High School for Ethnic Minority Groups at 2024 Cultural and Sports Competition for Boarding and Semi-Boarding Schools for Ethnic Minorities in Hoa Binh province.
In early October, the provincial Department of Education and Training held the 2024 Cultural and Sports Competition for Boarding and Semi-Boarding Schools for Ethnic Minority Groups, attracting the participation of 24 schools with nearly 400 students competing in the cultural category. This event truly provided a platform for students to improve their understanding of cultural heritage.
Over the past years, apart from providing knowledge and moral education for students, the department has consistently focused on fostering their patriotism. Special emphasis has been placed on educating them about preserving and promoting the cultural identities of local ethnic groups.
Department Deputy Director Nguyen Quang Minh said such educational activities are tailored to the psychological and developmental characteristics of students as well as schools’ conditions. They are integrated into major lessons and extracurricular activities. Some schools have also stablished spaces showcasing.
Gongs hold a special place in the cultural and spiritual life of the Muong ethnic people in Hoa Binh province. More than musical instruments, they are an indispensable part of community rituals and collective memory, echoing through generations as a spiritual thread linking the past, present, and future.
Preserving and promoting the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group has become an urgent task in the current context, as many traditional values face the risk of fading away. This effort requires not only protecting the cultural identity but also eliminating outdated customs and developing a modern cultural lifestyle, contributing to sustainable values for the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.
The Muong ethnic culture, deeply rooted in Vietnam’s mountainous north, continues to be preserved and revitalised by dedicated individuals and communities determined to safeguard their ancestral identity.
The Muong group is one of the largest ethnic minorities in Vietnam, primarily found in Hoa Binh province. The Muong people in Hoa Binh boast a rich and diverse cultural treasure that reflects the unique identity of this ethnic group. Accounting for over 63% of the province's population, they have created and preserved numerous distinctive cultural values, contributing to their unique identity. Their cultural heritage is an invaluable asset, at the heart of their national identity, and represents a vibrant spiritual life that must be preserved and promoted in today’s modern world.
For generations, the ethnic communities of Hoa Binh province, particularly the Muong people, have preserved vibrant festivals deeply intertwined with the region’s geography, nature, and social traditions. These celebrations enrich Hoa Binh’s spiritual life and cultural identity, reflecting both folk beliefs and the intermingling of ethnic customs. Many of these festivals have endured the test of time, passed down through generations and continuing to thrive today. Among them, the Khai Ha (Going Down to the Field) festival stands out as one of the most significant events of the Muong ethnic group.
Muong calendar, known as sach doi, is an ancient folk knowledge system developed through observations of the movement of the pleiades star. This unique calendar consists of 12 bamboo sticks, each representing a lunar month. Specific days within each month are marked with distinct symbols, guiding locals in determining auspicious and inauspicious days for important activities.
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