(HBO) – The People’s Committee of Hoa Binh province has organised a conference on coordination in building a dossier for Mo Muong to be included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
The event saw the attendance of Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and
Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong and representatives from the Vietnam National Academy
of Music and the People’s Committees of Hanoi, and Dak Lak, Son La, Phu Tho,
Thanh Hoa and Ninh Binh provinces.
Photo: Bui Van Khanh, Deputy Secretary of the
provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee,
concludes the conference.
According to the provincial Department of
Culture, Sports and Tourism, the provincial People’s Committee issued Plan No.
220/KH-UBND on November 25, 2011, on the coordination.
The department has sent documents to cities and
provinces, asking for joint efforts in building the dossier, and partnered with
the Vietnam National Academy of Music to conduct research studies and organise
seminars.
The sides have identified the targeted heritage
– Mo Muong, a collection of verses recited at traditional Muong funerals.
Among the localities that are reviewing the list
of Mo Muong, the central province of Thanh Hoa has done the work.
Participants at the conference looked into tasks
of the localities, the progress of the dossier building and next steps, along
with capital allocation for the project.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Hoang Dao Cuong stressed that the building of the dossier is an urgent task.
He said the localities should send the dossier
to the ministry by December this year, which will be assessed before January
31, 2023 and submitted to UNESCO no later than the end of March 2023.
However, the work remains sluggish, he said,
asking Hoa Binh and other localities to speed up and outline a specific
roadmap, with quality and efficiency ensured.
Bui Van Khanh, Deputy Secretary of the
provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee,
spoke highly of opinions raised by experts and localities, which, he said, will
help Hoa Binh consolidate and complete the dossier soon./.
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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