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.


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Hoa Binh - The land of epics and legends

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.”

Truong Kha temple festival 2025

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.

Women's clothing of ethnic minorities in Hoa Binh

The clothing of women reflects the culture of the Muong, Thai, Tay, Dao, and Mong ethnic groups in the northern province of Hoa Binh.

Hoa Binh’s cultural heritage: Muong Gongs, a timeless cultural treasure

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, promoting Muong cultural heritage: Upholding Muong culture into contemporary life

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.

Preserving essence of Muong culture: tradition meets modernity

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.