(HBO) – A 800-metre road section of 15 households in Hai Son hamlet, Mai Hich commune (Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province) was previously full of moss and weeds. With the helping hands of 27 voluntary students from the Hanoi University of Fine Arts, the village has been covered with colourful paintings featuring the unique culture of the Thai ethnic minority group.
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Thanks to a
project of the Centre for Community Health and Development (COHED), Mai Hich
commune (Mai Chau district) now has a new name as "Hai Son community-based
tourism fresco village”
The activity was inspired by the Centre for
Community Health and Development (COHED) as part of a project designed to
develop rural areas via environmentally friendly community-based tourism
sponsored by the Bread for the World (BFW) with the target of improving living conditions
of ethnic people in
Vietnam.
Through which, community-based tourism initiatives have generated incomes for
ethnic people in Mai Chau district. The paintings were created by voluntary
students and COHED staff along with residents in Hai Son hamlet. After eight
days of working hard, they changed the grey walls into lively paintings.
Not only painting on the wall, vegetable fences
were also decorated. Children in the hamlet were encouraged to join the
activity with the assistance from voluntary students. Children were
enthusiastic to create lovely pictures highlighting the beauty of their
countryside.
Nowadays, when arriving in Hai Son hamlet,
visitors could put their souls into the nature of the Mai Chau mountainous
region which is poetic through pictures capturing four seasons of the year as
well as the daily life of people such as rice sowing, cultivating and pounding,
along with gong culture, drinking "ruou can” (literally "stem wine"
or "tube wine”), and enjoying "mua sap” (dance of the bamboo)
performances.
Hai Son is a poor hamlet in Mai Hich commune,
mainly cultivating rice and vegetables. Locals enjoy a peaceful life but still
face many difficulties. Endowed with natural advantages, locals hope to
introduce the natural beauty of their land to visitors to develop
community-based tourism and increase their incomes.
Head of Hai Son hamlet Dam Quang Thuong said the
COHED project has empowered local residents to develop community-based tourism.
At present, the hamlet is opening a training course for people to provide homestay
services, focusing on keeping the clean environment. Tourists could experience
local daily activities such as growing rice, weaving brocade and cooking local
special dishes.
On February 12th (i.e. Lunar January 15), the People's Committee of Hop Tien commune, Kim Boi district organized the Festival of Sim Pagoda Festival in At Ty Spring, 2025. The festival welcomed many people and tourists to visit the pagoda and enjoy the scenery.
The palanquin procession to Sim Pagoda.
As Hoa Binh province is set to host 115 spring festivals, local departments, sectors and localities are joining hands to ensure safety for the events.
In many major cultural events in Hanoi, the sound of the Muong people's gongs has become a special tone, contributing to the unique harmony that praises the cultural values accumulated over thousands of years along with the sacred soul of the capital city.
On the first day back to work and school after the Lunar New Year holiday, thousands of female officials, civil servants, and students from grade nine and above in Lac Son district proudly wore the traditional Muong attire. The vibrant brocade patterns created a striking cultural display, reinforcing the community's commitment to preserving and promoting their heritage.
The provincial-level Khai Ha festival 2025 of the Muong ethnic minority group took place at Phong Phu commune’s stadium in Tan Lac district of Hoa Binh province on the morning of February 5 (the 8th day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Snake).
"Xuong Dong” (going to the field) festival opened in Yen Phu commune of Hoa Binh’s Lac Son district on February 5, or the eighth day of the Year of the Snake, drawing thousands of locals and visitors to partake in a variety of activities.