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 archaeological site of the Vanh village stone
shelter in Yen Phu commune, Lac Son district, designated as a special national
relic, is an epitome of the Hoa Binh Civilisation and an invaluable tourism
resource.
Home to nearly 900,000 people, Hoa Binh is
predominantly populated by ethnic minorities, who make up 74.31% of residents,
mostly Muong, Thai, Tay, Dao, and Mong. The Muong, long-time inhabitants, have
crafted a rich legacy of tangible and intangible heritage, enriching Vietnam’s
diverse cultural landscape.
A 2021 provincial inventory catalogued 786
intangible cultural heritage elements across seven categories: language,
script, folk literature, folk performing arts, social customs, traditional
crafts, and folk knowledge. Hoa Binh claims five nationally recognised cultural
heritage elements. Among its 115 State-recognised relic sites, the Trai hamlet
cave and the Vanh village stone shelter – archaeological gems in Lac Son
district, are special national relics, alongside 39 national and 75 provincial
relics. Hundreds of other sites await classification.
Distinctive cultural assets such as traditional
festivals, folk performances, beliefs, and social customs imbued with ethnic
minorities' cultural identities form a crucial resource for developing Hoa
Binh’s cultural industries and local cultural landscape. Local authorities and
communities have ramped up preservation efforts, yielding notable progress.
Director of the Department of Culture, Sports
and Tourism Quach Thi Kieu highlighted the province’s success in safeguarding
its diverse tangible and intangible cultural heritage. These efforts have helped
deepen cultural values and power socio-economic growth.
She noted that cultural heritage has become a
catalyst for progress, contributing to Vietnam’s goal of building an advanced
and national identity-rich culture vital to national development and defence.
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.
