(HBO) – In spite of the change of the social life, Muong ethnic people in Hoa Binh province’s Lac Son district still consciously preserve unique cultural identities of the locality, especially folk songs, said Bui Van Nom, former Secretary of the district Party Committee.
Muong ethnic people in Lac Son exert efforts to preserve popular folk songs.
Nom, who is devoting himself to the collection and preservation of folklore culture
values of the nation, said Muong folk songs are becoming more and more popular in the daily life of the local community.
According to
folklore researcher Bui Huy Vong, Lac Son is considered to be the core zone of
Muong people in Hoa Binh province and their culture.
For a long
time, people here have considered Muong folk songs in general, and Thuong Rang, Bo Meng and Dum singing popular cultural
practices in the daily life. The singing styles have become the
intangible cultural heritage of the locality bearing cultural, historical and
human values.
Local people sing not only on the
occasions of weddings, new house celebrations, festivals, and cultural and
artistic exchanges, Muong folk songs are becoming more and more popular through
the lullabies, when men and women declaring their love to each other while working
in the fields and gardens.
In recent
times, Thuong Rang, Bo Meng and Dum singing has been organised in many
festivals, becoming the highlight in festivals and mass art contests in the
district.
Along with preserving the cultural identity of Muong ethnic people in general, the
local authorities have also paid attention to keeping and developing Muong folk
songs.
As part of efforts to preserve and promote this unique
cultural value, a number of folk singing clubs have been established, such as
Muong Khai and Muong Khoi in An Nghia commune, and Bai Chim in Tan My commune.
Some artists and those who are devoting
themselves to preserving Muong folk songs such
as Bui Thien, Bui Huy Vong, and Bui Van Nom, have organised over 30 performance
exchange programmes, counted over 300 artists singing folk songs, old Muong
songs, and stored nearly 1.000
GB of relevant video and audio data.
Fork song
artist Bui Van Tien in Song Khanh village of Tan My commune, who is head of Bai
Chim Club, said Bua, Rang, Vi and Dum singing styles of Muong people feature epics
and legends, reflect the daily life, customs and beliefs, and express the
desire for a prosperous life of Muong people in Hoa Binh.
The singing styles originated from the working life of the people and are handed downorallyfrom
generation to generation. Local people sing Muong folk songs in festivals of early spring.
Apart from Rang singing, the Muong people in Lac Son also retain Sac Bua
singing in in spring festivals, Nom said. The unique
culture of Muong people has been passed down through generations, bringing in a
strong and long-lasting vitality, becoming a cultural flow imbued with the
ethnic group’s unique cultural values. Muong folk
songs are on the way to be recognized as a national intangible cultural
heritage./.
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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