Mr. Bui Van Khan – the artisan of gong in Luy Ai hamlet, Phong Phu commune (Tan Lac) is teaching gong to the small children in the hamlet.

Gong calmly sees off the dead souls to their ancestors ... Thus, over the time the sounds of gongs have become the indispensable cultural features in the spiritual life of Muong Bi people. Therefore, the Party Committee and the authorities of Tan Lac district have always been trying to preserve and promote the value of Gong in recent years.

Mr. Bui Van Khan – the artisan of Gong in Luy Ai hamlet, Phong Phu commune says that a set of gongs of Muong people consists of 12 pieces representing 12 months of the year and a full rotation of 4 seasons, spring - summer - autumn - winter. Twelve gongs create 12 separate sounds and at the same time they form a set of gongs with unique harmonies.

Luy Ai hamlet, Phong Phu commune is place which preserves most gongs in Tan Lac district. Most of the houses in the hamlet have from 1 to 2 gongs. Children in the hamlet are passionate about learning how to play gongs, many children at the age of 5 and 6 have already mastered simple lessons of gongs. To conserve Muong gongs, Luy Ai Ai hamlet has cooperated with the party committee and the authorities of Phong Phu commune to organize training courses to teach gong skills to the younger generation. After the gong courses, the young generation in the commune has confidently performed Muong gong at major festivals of the commune and district.

According to statistics, there are about 1,000 gongs in Tan Lac district now. Most of Muong ethnic people in Tan Lac know how to play gongs. Some communes have a large number of gongs such as Phong Phu, Ngoi Hoa, Man Duc ... All the communes in Tan Lac district have set up their own gong teams to perform in important commune events.

In the traditional festivals of Muong Bi people, it is indispensable to have the sounds of gongs to open the festivals. Muong gongs exist at all festivals of Muong Bi such as Khai Ha Ceremony in Muong Bi (the ceremony to start the new crop), the Open Ceremony to the Field, Spring Fishing Festival in March ... In which, Khai Ha Festival in Muong Bi takes place with the unique Muong performance of several hundred artisans of gong. When the sound of "Gong" bursts out, the festival officially starts ...

Tan Lac is one of the districts that still retains a large number of gongs in the province. The charming girls of Muong Bi are the core force participating in gong performance at major events of the province such as: 130th anniversary of the provincial establishment, 25 years of the provincial re-establishment, the Olympic ... The participation in gong performance at major events in the province has contributed to promoting the storage of Muong ethnic musical instruments. In addition, in order to conserve Muong gongs, Tan Lac district has also been paying attention to establishing mass performance teams at the community tourist destinations such as Ban Ngoi (Ngoi Hoa commune), Chien hamlet (Nam Son commune), Luy Ai hamlet (Phong Phu commune) ...

Mr. Dinh Xuan Tung, the Department of Culture and Sports of Tan Lac district, says that gongs unite the friendship of the neighbors keep the soul for Muong land. Therefore, the Party Committee and the authorities of Tan Lac district always pay great attention to preserving and developing Gong culture. In order to preserve and promote the value of gongs, the Party Committee and the authorities of Tan Lac district have always actively organized propaganda among the people about the sense of preserving and promoting the value of gong culture. 

The district’s Department of Culture and Sports has closely cooperated with the communes to keep an inventory of the number of gongs in the area. They have been honoring the gong artisans and mobilizing them to participate in teaching gongs to the younger generation in the hamlets and communes. Besides, the district often opens classes to teach the skills to play gongs. They have also been paying attention to developing the mass art movement at the grassroots level to bring gong items in competitions and shows.

Related Topics

Lo Son commune’s traditional stream fishing festival

Hoa Binh - The land of epics and legends

Truong Kha temple festival 2025

Women's clothing of ethnic minorities in 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.

Preserving Muong community’s identity – Journey from tradition to modernity: Part 1 – Exploring Muong culture region

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.

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.