(HBO) – The traditional fish-catching festival of Muong ethnic minority people took place on May 10 in Tan Vuong hamlet, Lo Son commune, Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province, attracting crowds of local residents and visitors.
Lo Son, a remote
commune of Tan Lac, where more than 6 km of Suoi
Cai (Cai stream) passes through. Water from small streams around Muong Bi
area gathers to create one large natural Cai stream with clean water, providing
shelter for many kinds of fish.
Muong people here have
organised the fish-catching festival on the third lunar month every year for
generations.
Local teams compete in
casting-net throwing competition
The festival included
two parts – a ritual ceremony and entertainment activities.
The ritual ceremony was
solemnly held at the hamlet’s shrine where a shaman performed rites to pray for
good weather, bumper crops, luck and health. After that, four young men carried
a raft to the stream and representatives of the hamlet and commune threw the
nets first.
Raft racing
Meanwhile, the locals
joined the festival’s entertainment activities in the stream’s Tro and Lo areas,
such as draft racing, casting-net throwing competitions, fish-catching contest,
and a fair of local farming products.
Leaders of the People’s Committee of Lo Son
commune and local people release fries into the stream
The annual festival
aimed to pay tribute to the Gods while preserving and promoting the local
cultural values. It also provided an opportunity for the local people to get
relaxed and increase solidarity as well as raised their awareness of protecting
the environment and natural resources and harms of the destructive fishing
practices like those using electricity and explosives.
It was part of events
in celebration of Tan Lac district’s 60th founding anniversary
(October 15, 1957-2017).
By Thu Thuy
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 This effort requires not only protecting the cultural identity but also eliminating outdated customs and developing a modern cultural lifestyle, contributing to sustainable values for the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.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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