(HBO) - Over the past years, to carry out Directive 41-CT/TW, issued by the 11th-tenure Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on February 5, 2015, on enhancing the Party’s leadership over the management and organisation of festivals, the culture, sports and tourism sector of Hoa Binh province has worked hard to uphold and bring into play traditional cultural values.
A tutelary god palanquin procession in the Khai ha
(going to the field) festival in the Muong Bi area of Tan Lac district.
Deputy Director of the provincial Department of
Culture, Sports and Tourism Luu Huy Linh said thanks to the attention of provincial
leaders and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as well as efforts of local
authorities, the preservation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage
values have been stepped up.
There are hundreds of spring festivals across
Hoa Binh at present, including over 40 festivals of local ethnic minorities restored
recently such as the Khai ha Muong Bi Festival in Tan Lac district, the Xen Ban
and Xen Muong festivals of the Thai ethnic group in Mai Chau district, the Gau
Tao Festival of Mong people in Mai Chau, and the Long Tong Festival of Tay
people in Da Bac district.
Under the provincial administration’s
directions, local relic sites have been restored and upgraded. Nineteen of the
68 relic sites in the province have been rated so far while the management,
protection, and promotion of values of these places have been associated with
the organisation of festivals.
Party committees, authorities and organisations
from the provincial to grassroots levels have taken action to enhance their
leadership over the management and organisation of festivals. The target is to
organise local festivals in a solemn, economical, and effective manner that is
in line with fine customs and traditional cultural values so as to meet
people’s cultural and spiritual demand. They expect that by doing so, festivals
in Hoa Binh will attract more visitors, thus better preserving and bringing
into play cultural identities of ethnic minority groups in the province./.
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 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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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