(HBO) - 98% of the population in Doc Lap Commune (Hoa Binh City) are Muong ethnic people. Within the city’s area, this is the commune with the highest percentage of Muong ethnic people. In recent years, along with building a new cultural life, Doc Lap commune has always preserved the cultural identity of Muong ethnic people from the stilt houses, the costumes to the ancient gongs.
The women in Doc Lap commune (Hoa Binh
city) have maintained their cultural identity through the traditional costumes,
the songs and the dances of the Muong ethnic group.
Currently, 100% of the hamlets in the
commune have established the conventions and regulations on the cultural
lifestyle and they have regularly been revising to suit the reality. 100% of
the agencies and the schools have been built green - clean - beautiful - civilized.
The movement to build the cultural families, villages, agencies, units, and
schools has achieved remarkable results.
Every year, more than 80% of the communes
reach the standard of the cultural family. Regularly, from 5 to 6 out of the 6
villages reach the title of the cultural villages. The movement "All people
exercise their bodies following the example of the great Uncle Ho” has been
widely developed. Six out of the six hamlets have built their cultural houses
and sports fields. 44% of the population have been participating in regular
physical training and sports. Every hamlet, agency and school have their own
art performance teams and group, cultural clubs operating regularly and
effectively. The activities of mass culture and art performance, information
and propaganda have been widely developed.
The highlight of the cultural life in Doc
Lap commune is the preservation and promotion of Muong ethnic cultural identity
in the modern life. The Women's Union of the helmets has propagandized and
encouraged each female ethnic minority of Muong to have at least one
traditional costume to wear on holidays, New Year, weddings or festivals. The
Women's Union is also a key factor in building and maintaining the
effectiveness of the model "Preserving and promoting Muong ethnic cultural
identity through Muong folk songs”.
In recent years, the team of Muong's gong
with the strength of ancient gongs has made its own impression and identity in
the cultural activities of Ky Son district. More valuable is that at schools
such as Suoi Hoa kindergarten, Doc Lap semi-boarding high and secondary school,
the issue of preserving and promoting the Muong ethnic cultural identity is
specially paid attention. From 2016 up to now, Doc Lap semi-boarding high and
secondary school has been maintaining the operation of the team of Muong Gong.
The team has participated and achieved many high achievements in the arts
festivals of the education and training sector.
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.