(HBO) - Mong ethnic people in Hang Kia and Pa Co communes (Mai Chau) have also been preserving a lot of cultural beauty through their traditional costumes, languages, handicrafts and so on. In which, linen weaving, beeswax drawing, paper making are being preserved and promoted after a long time of gradual extinction. A large number of tourists coming there also want to learn and experience this unique handicraft art.
The women of Mong ethnic people in Cha Day hamlet, Pa Co
commune (Mai Chau) are making Do paper (poonah paper).
Ms. Mua Y Mai in Cha Day hamlet, Pa Co commune says to make
the Do paper from Aganonerion polymorphum, first look for the small young parts
of the plant, peel off the hard shell, then mix them with the ash and put it in
cooking pans. The cooking time is up to 3 days and 2 nights. To be more
successful, they are put into the sacks, soaked in water for about 10 days and
then picked out. The ash is washed off and then it is smashed into a kind of
powder. The pulp is then mixed into clean water, and stirred until the powder
dissolves. After that, the women prepare the paper molds stretched with mesh
fabric. They use a large ladle to scoop up the liquid pulp to spread onto the
cloth. The finished paper after drying under the sun and wind will be peeled and
folded for use when having important family matters.
Besides, the linen weaving and beeswax painting of the women
of Mong ethnic people are like an art. Ms. Sung Y Mua in Hang Kia hamlet, Hang
Kia commune says that it is necessary to make the wax hot so that it can melt
before drawing the patterns. It is important to keep the fire evenly when
cooking so that the wax does not dry out. Therefore, the drawing person always
sits next to the oven, putting a pen into a hot pan of wax and putting the hand
in straight lines on the fabric. The process of drawing beeswax on fabric seems
simple but takes a lot of effort and time. First of all, it is necessary to
make linen and weave the cloth.
It takes from 6 – 7 meters of linen to make a dress of Mong
ethnic people. And it takes 32 stages to make a linen sheet.
For Mong ethnic people in Hang Kia and Pa Co communes, Do
paper is always associated with the spiritual life. According to Mr. Sung A
Mang, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Pa Co commune, Do paper is
often used in festivals, Tet holidays and for worship.
The amazing natural landscapes, the traditional cultural
identities, the villages of Mong ethnic people in Hang Kia and Pa Co have
created tourist attractions to domestic and foreign tourists coming to Mai Chau
in recent years.
The 10th art festival for the armed forces, youths and students of Hoa Binh province celebrating the 80th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army and 35th anniversary of the All People’s Defence Day wrapped up on April 25.
Xoe dance, an unique art form of the Thai ethnic minority group in Mai Chau district of Hoa Binh province has existed for a long time and passed down through generations. Xoe dance is not only a popular dance in the Thai community but also a unique cultural feature, an indispensable part in the Thai ethnic minority people's cultural and spiritual life.
The Bac Son pre-school in Hung Son commune, Kim Boi district is effectively implementing a model of preserving and promoting cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group.
Through ups and downs, many unique cultural features of the Muong ethnic minority group are facing risks of falling into oblivion. However, with a strong determination, Lac Son district of Hoa Binh province has deployed synchronous solutions to preserve and promote the locality's cultural heritage values.
If Tan Lac is considered the core of the cradle of Muong culture in Hoa Binh, Phong Phu commune is the cultural centre of Muong culture in Tan Lac district. Luy Ai hamlet in Phong Phu commune is where customs and traditions of Muong Bi are preserved. Luy Ai hamlet was chosen to build a space to preserve Muong ethnic culture. The district is seeking support from the province and coordinating with relevant agencies to devise a plan on preservation of Muong cultural spaces associated with developing tourism products and improving the lives of local residents.
Nguyen Manh Tuan, a Muong ethnic man in Ba Hang Doi town, Lac Thuy district, is known as a young, dedicated, and outstanding artisan who has made significant contributions in collecting, restoring, and preserving national cultural values.