(HBO) - In Muong villages, the buffalo image is always attached to farmers. According to the farmers in Muong villages, plowing and harrowing with buffaloes helps the soil better and helps the rice less susceptible to pests and diseases. Therefore, the people in Muong Bi (Tan Lac) still maintain plowing, harrowing and preparing oil for rice cultivation with buffaloes.
The teams performing the rituals of plowing in early spring
at Khai Ha ceremony in Muong Bi in 2020.
In order to reappear the rituals of plowing in the early
spring, every year at Kha Ha ceremony in Muong Bi, the Party Committee, the
authorities of Tan Lac district organize the plowing ceremony at the beginning
of spring with the expectation that Muong Bi fields are lush and paddy, the
dunes are full of rice, the people are always full, the villages are peaceful
and all things multiply throughout the new year. However, today the ritual is
more innovative.
The number of buffaloes and participants taking part in the
plowing ceremony has been increasing. The plowing competition in early spring
has been organized in the locality... Thereby, the plowing rituals of in the
early spring has become a unique cultural activity, attracting a large number
of people to participate. At Khai Ha ceremony in Muong Bi the year of Rats in
2020, there were 5 plowing teams with of 2 people and 2 buffaloes taking part
in the competition. Buffaloes participating in the ceremony must be big and
strong, regardless of male or female buffaloes. The plow is firm, sharp and
beautiful. The plowmen must be skilled.
In order for the plowing rituals to be done carefully, Phong
Phu commune has selected good buffaloes in the hamlets and chosen each person
to implement the plow. Through many rounds of selection, 10 good buffaloes
meeting all criteria were trained and cared for to perform the rituals in the
morning of the 8th of January of the year of the Rats.
Mr. Bui Trong Que, in Man hamlet, in Phong Phu commune says:
Our family is very happy when our buffalo has been chosen to participate in the
ceremony. I am honored to be the one to make the first plows in the new year.
Before the Lunar New Year of the Rat, we had to fatten the buffalo so that he
becomes fat and healthy to make fast and straight plows. The first straight
plows of the New Year's promise a year of green and paddy fields of rice.
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.