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

4/12/2025 - 11:16:41 AM

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 This effort requires not only protecting the cultural identity but also eliminating outdated customs and developing a modern cultural lifestyle, contributing to sustainable values for the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.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 culture is included the curriculum of the Do Nhan primary and secondary school (Tan Lac district).

Identifying challenges

Quach Thi Kieu, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, acknowledged recent progress in preserving the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group. However, she warned that the pressure of a market economy have caused some communities to drift toward materialism, gradually eroding traditional cultural values. Several heritage elements of the Muong culture are now at risk of disappearing.

Despite the richness of the Muong heritage, investment in its preservation and promotion remains insufficient. Many significant cultural assets have yet to be studied, documented, or restored. Efforts to survey intangible cultural heritage are still limited, and the preparation of dossiers to nominate the Muong culture for inclusion in the list of national intangible cultural heritage is still limited.

Efforts to promote and raise awareness of the Muong cultural heritage in Hoa Binh remain ineffective. Exhibitions at the provincial museum lack appeal while facilities for showcasing the Muong heritage are underdeveloped. Social mobilisation and private-sector involvement in heritage conservation is still modest.

Additionally, heritage sites continue to face threats from vandalism and theft. Several sites are deteriorating without proper restoration, and there are a shortage of support policies for Muong artisans—especially those honoured with the titles "People’s Artisan” or "Meritorious Artisan”—who are actively passing down traditional knowledge to younger generations.

Sharing concerns about these challenges, artisan Bui Van Rum in Rom Co hamlet, Thuong Coc commune (Lac Son district), noted that many cultural treasures such as the Mo Muong ritual, are at risk of being lost.

"We remain passionate and committed to preservation, but our biggest worry is the lack of young successors who are willing to learn and carry on this legacy,” he said.

Efforts to keep Muong culture heritage everlasting

Amid challenges to preservation efforts, local authorities have taken proactive steps to safeguard and promote the cultural heritage of the Muong ethnic group. For the first time, the preservation and promotion of the Muong culture and the Hoa Binh Civilisation have been identified as a strategic breakthrough of the province.

The provincial Party Committee's Standing Board has focused on concrete directives and solutions to ensure that the Muong culture is not only preserved but also integrated into community life in meaningful ways.

In 2023, Hoa Binh launched a plan on preservingandpromotingthe values of the Muong ethnic culture and the Hoa Binh Civilisation for the 2023–2030 period. The initiative allocates over 500 billion VND (21 million USD) to support the efforts. A key component of the plan is building a Muongethniccultural conservation space linked to tourism development in Tan Lac district.

The plan outlines other key actions, including researching and collecting Muong cultural heritage elements with historical, scientific, artistic, and aesthetic values for exhibition and promotion activities; and developing contemporary cultural products reflecting the Muong identity to improve tourism experiences for visitors.

It emphasises the urgent need to protect endangered cultural knowledge as many practitioners are elderly; restore and revive traditional festivals, traditional attire, stilt houses, folk songs, the gong art, Mo Muong ritual, and other cultural practices. Additionally, the province also plans to invest in the restoration and preservation of some architectural sites that embody the unique cultural identity of the Muong people but have deteriorated over time.

Attention will be also paid to including the Muong culture in the school curriculum, organising extracurricular activities that help students better understand and treasure their ethnic heritage, issuing policies to support the artisans practicing Mo Muong and the Muong gong art, and developing Muong culture-themed tourism linked with ecological and relaxation tourism.

Traditional festivals of Hoa Binh: A rich cultural heritage

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 – National intangible cultural heritage

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.

Chieng Chau commune preserves heritage tree

Authorities and residents of Chieng Chau commune, Mai Chau district, are making efforts to preserve and promote the historical value of a centuries-old gold apple tree (scientifically known as diospyros decandra lour), which has been recognised as a national heritage tree.

Ever-resonating Dong Son drums of Hoa Binh

Hoa Binh is home to two types of Dong Son drums: Heger I and Heger II. These drums date back from the 4th century BC to the 5th century AD.

Mo Muong - unique cultural heritage of Muong people

Mo is a term referring to a profession and cultural heritage which integrates folk beliefs with folk culture and arts. Practiced at funerals and religious rituals by the Muong ethnic people, it aims to provide spiritual comfort during significant life events such as illness and death.

Unique traits of ethnic groups in Hoa Binh

Hoa Binh leaves a strong impression on visitors due to the diversity in the lifestyle and cultural identities of its ethnic groups. The province is home to six main ethnic groups, with a total population of nearly 900,000. The largest group is Muong, making up 63.3% of the population, followed by Kinh with 27.73%, Thai 3.9%, Tay 2.7%, Dao 1.7%, Mong 0.52%, and other ethnic groups 1.18%. Along with the long history of the nation’s formation and defence, the province’s ethnic groups have always been united, hardworking, and determined to strive for socio-economic development. At the same time, each ethnic group displays its own unique and distinct cultural identity, contributing to a diverse, rich, and attractive cultural tapestry.