(HBO) – Thanks to the Resolution adopted at the fifth plenum of the 8th-tenure Party Central Committee on building and developing Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity, Mo Muong, a unique cultural heritage of the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh province, has been restored since 2000.
Mo Muong is a job and also a performance
practiced at funerals, religious festivals, and life cycle rituals by the Muong
ethnic group. The art consists of Mo prayers and performances, by Mo
practitioners, or Mo artisans.
Hoa Binh province has viewed Mo Muong as a
cultural heritage that needs to be preserved and promoted, and has included it
in the Resolution of the provincial Party Congress for the 2015-2020 and
2020-2025 tenures.
The Resolution highlighted the mobilisation of
resources to preserve and promote mountainous cultural identities of ethnic
minority groups in combination with tourism development.
It also mentioned the submission of the dossier
on Mo Muong to the UNESCO for recognition as an intangible cultural heritage in
need of urgent protection.
Despite ups and downs, with the introduction of
foreign culture, Mo Muong has maintained its vitality and nurtured the
personality and soul of generations of Muong people.
To preserve the custom, the entire political
system and people in Hoa Binh have implemented both short and long-term plans
seeking the UNESCO’s recognition.
The Standing Board of the provincial Party
Committee has ordered strengthening the leadership of all-level Party
committees in realising the Law on Cultural Heritage and documents on the
protection and promotion of cultural values, notably Mo Muong.
The board asked all-level Party committees,
authorities, Vietnam Fatherland Front committees and social-political
organisations to actively coordinate with relevant ministries, agencies and
localities in seeking the Prime Minister’s approval to submit the dossier to
the UNESCO.
Luu Huy Linh, Deputy Director of the provincial
Director of Culture, Spots and Tourism, said his department will step up the
communication work in the time ahead to raise public awareness of Mo Muong.
Mo Muong performances would be staged at
programmes, festivals, cultural exchanges and other events in the province, he
said.
The Mo Muong club in Lac Son district has been
assigned to open Mo Muong classes, Linh said, adding that the department will
also partner with its counterparts in a number of provinces where Muong people
are living to complete the dossier. /.
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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