HBO – Mo is used by Muong ethnic people to practice a variety of rituals in daily life. There are 23 Mo-related rituals in four main groups, namely the rituals praying for happiness and prosperity, the rituals to summon souls, the rituals to eliminate devils and pray for peace and health, and funeral rituals. Therefore, Mo rituals go closely with one person from birth, marriage, peace, health, to death.

Officials
from the Hoa Binh Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism (DoCST) are
reviewing Tui Khot (ritual bags) of thay mo, or sorcerers in Kim Boi district.
In the
Hoa Binh Culture in local Muong Hoa Binh ethnic area, Mo has been formed,
thrived and is on path to becoming a national intangible cultural heritage.
Mo
Muong holds unique human value. Mo reproduces the mankind’s history in the
legends of earth, water, fire, Cun Can’s marriage (Cun Can was the head of a
Muong ethnic area), reflecting the development of mankind’s society, and their
creativity in their lives. Mo Muong also tells lessons about community life and
society, such as the recitations about using Chu Dong tree to build house,
setting fire on the house of the Muong ethnic people’s God King Dit Dang,
taking care of animals, flower garden in Coi Mountain. They are lessons about
solidarity, ingratitude, sufferings in wrong love affairs. Mo Muong has a
long-lasting life because it comprises all folk cultural values of the ethnic
Muong people, including fork literature, folk singing, folk rituals telling
about people’s knowledge and behavior.
Mo
Muong is the essence of experience in labour, production, cultural behavior and
philosophy of life, reflecting the love of life, people and hometown. It shows
the courage and personality of the Muong ethnic people and
land of
Muong Hoa Binh.
Mo Muong reflects the characteristics, the soul and moral principles of the
Muong ethnic minority people. Over the past time, generations of Muong people
have preserved, passed down and promoted Mo Muong values in a sustainable
manner, giving vitality and inspiring capability of the intangible cultural
heritage.
According
to statistics of the DoCST, the province is home to 241 eligible sorcerers. They are the "living archive”
holding especially important values in exploring and summarizing the unique
cultural values of Mo Muong.
Bui Van
Keng, a sorcerer in Cuoi Ha commune,
Kim Boi district said the number of sorcerersreduced sharply, Mo rituals did, too. Most of the sorcerers are old. They have difficulties in passing down the
rituals because young people cannot learn or don’t have passion to learn. He
expressed his hope that authorities will collect documents on
Muong
Mo,
keep them in record to pass down to the next generations.
In
order to protect and promote the Muong ethnic culture in general and Mo Muong
in particular, in early 2017, Muong ethnic letters were announced. The DoCST
developed projects to select contents of Mo Muong cultural heritage to include
in teaching programmes at schools, and to preserve Mo Muong values.
Compilation
of books on Mo Muong is also underway, using the new letters. Relevant bodies
prepare resumes, propose legal framework to preserve the values of the Mo Muong
cultural heritage./.
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.