(HBO) – The Muong Culture Space Museum is located in a small limestone valley in Hoa Binh city, about 70km from Hanoi. Forgetting the busy daily life, we went to this place to see why many people leave noisy urban areas to come here at weekends or holidays to live in a peaceful environment close to the life of Muong people. Not at all dry as the image that the name "museum” often suggests, visitors to the place will find themselves in a lively space close to the nature.
The 5ha
Muong
Culture
Space
Museum, established in 2007, is covered by the
green of Wedelia chinensis plants. The plant’s small yellow flowers, which are
in blossom the whole year, especially in spring, line the small paths, creating
a poetic scenery. The museum’s staff also use these flowers to decorate
reception desks and the lounge, giving visitors a fresh and relax atmosphere.
A corner of Muong Culture Space Museum
Welcoming us were the museum’s staff
and guides who looked graceful in Muong women’s traditional costumes, along
with painter Vu Duc Hieu who devoted his youth and assets to study and
establish the
Muong
Culture
Space
Museum. Hieu gave us the first impression of a man
of few words with melancholy eyes. Though he is called Hieu "Muong”, Hieu is
actually of the majority Kinh ethnic group and born in
Hanoi. In 2000, he graduated the
Hanoi
Industry
University in the glass
technology major. He has a strong attachment to Hoa Binh as he grew up in the
province and is engulfed by the unique Muong culture.
The
Muong
Culture
Space
Museum is divided into two areas: one for
reproductions and the other for display. Currently, the museum is preserving
about 3,000 objects and many valuable books on Muong culture. Hieu spent 10
years collecting these exhibits.
The museum is built as a miniature of
the Muong society with four stilt houses corresponding to four different social
strata. The first place to visit is the Lang house, demonstrating the life of the
landlord class. After the Lang house is the Au house of the Lang’s servants,
the Noc house of the commoners, and then the Noc Troi house of the lowest class
in the Muong society.
The
Muong
Culture
Space
Museum attracts a lot of domestic and foreign
visitors
Our journey through both the
reproduction and display areas at the museum ended at sunset. A dinner with
typical dishes of the Muong was ready for us to enjoy.
This was also an attraction for
tourists when visiting the museum, where they can not only learn about the Muong
culture but also enjoy Muong dishes and sleep in stilt houses, which makes the
place ideal for a short holiday or on weekends. Visitors, especially those
coming here for the first time, are sure to be impressed by such dishes as
steamed forest vegetables, grilled fish, hot steamed glutinous rice and Muong
wine. If you are lucky to come in the right season, there are some unique
specialties such as ant egg or bee larvae.
We will definitely come back to the
museum to enjoy the environment and cuisine of the Muong people again.
Hai
Yen
Hoa Binh province has carried out multiple programmes and initiatives to revive its cultural heritage which has gradually fallen into oblivion through the ebbs and flows of history.
The most prominent and defining feature in the prehistoric era of Hoa Binh is the Hoa Binh Culture. The Culture was first discovered in Hoa Binh. The significant prehistoric culture represents not only Vietnam but also Southeast Asia and southern China. Through excavations of cave sites in the limestone regions of Hoa Binh, French archaeologist M. Colani introduced the world to a "Stone Age in Hoa Binh province – Northern Vietnam" in 1927. On January 30, 1932, the First Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians, held in Hanoi, officially recognised the Hoa Binh Culture.
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 People's Committee of Luong Son District recently held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Sau Communal House in Thanh Cao Commune as a provincial-level historical and cultural site.
Recognising the importance of cultural heritage preservation in protecting and promoting the value system of Vietnamese culture, and serving socio-economic development in the new period, Party committees and local administrations in Hoa Binh province have identified it as a key task in the cultural development strategy. The province has been making efforts in mobilising resources, creating consensus among people and engaging ethnic communities in preserving and promoting cultural identity.
Hoa Binh province has captured growing attention both domestically and internationally for its distinctive cultural heritage and rich history. Most notably, it has been renowned for its famous Hoa Binh culture, considered the cradle of ancient Vietnamese civilisation. Looking ahead to significant milestones in 2025 and the 140th anniversary of province establishment in 2026, Hoa Binh Newspaper presents a comprehensive overview of the province's development across economic, social, cultural, tourism, and security domains.
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