(HBO) – With 72 caves and archaeological relic sites, Hoa Binh province has been identified as one of the cradles of the "Hoa Binh Civilisation” by archaeologists, scientists, and anthropologists. Over the past years, local authorities have paid great attention to the conservation and promotion of this civilisation’s values.
"Hang xom Trai” (Trai Village Cave) in Tan Lap commune of Lac Son district is
one of the typical archaeological relic sites of the "Hoa Binh Civilisation”.
According to the provincial Museum, karst caves
in Hoa Binh attracted attention from archaeologists of the French School of the
Far East in the 1920s. Through surveys, excavations, and studies, scientists
found that those karst caves contain vestiges of a civilisation that developed
between the late period of the Old Stone Age’s and the early period of the New
Stone Age, and named it "Hoa Binh”.
The "Hoa Binh Civilisation” existed about 30,000
- 4,000 years ago not only in Vietnam but also other places across Southeast
Asian such as Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines, as well as
China. More than 130 places dating back to the civilisation have been found in
Vietnam, and over half of them were discovered by Vietnamese archaeologists
during 1966 - 1980. Those relics scattered in various localities but
concentrated in Hoa Binh (72 sites) and Thanh Hoa (32 sites).
The typical relic sites and artefacts discovered
in Hoa Binh reflect the life and livelihoods of prehistoric humans. Most of the
relics have been protected, restored, and submitted to seek recognition, and
many of them have gained the status of national importance.
In the recent past, all-level Party committees,
administrations, and people of all ethnic groups in the province, especially
the cultural sector, have been stepping up the conservation and promotion of
this civilisation’s cultural values. They have enhanced cooperation with
domestic and international organisations in civilisation research, surveyed
archaeological relics, and taken measures for managing, conserving, and bringing
into play its values. In addition, communications in different forms and
languages have been stepped up to introduce the Hoa Binh Civilisation to major
cultural, economic, and political centres of Vietnam and at international
scientific conferences.
To mark the 90 years since the world recognised
the Hoa Binh Civilisation and gave it the name (1932 - 2022), at the beginning
of this year, the provincial People’s Committee issued Plan No. 50/KH-UBND on
the organisation of cultural, sports, and tourism events.
Luu Huy Linh, Deputy Director of the provincial
Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the cultural sector is planning
activities to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the recognition and naming of
the "Hoa Binh Civilisation”, including seeking permission for excavating some
archaeological caves in Lac Son district, inviting scientists to a national
seminar on the civilisation, and working with the People’s Committee of Hoa
Binh city to choose a road to name "Colani” so as to honour contributions by
French archaeologist Maeleine Colani who discovered and named the civilisation
"Hoa Binh”./.
As part of Project 6 under the national target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in 2024, Lạc Sơn District, Hoa Binh province focuses on diverse and practical activities to promote the project's goal: "Preserving and promoting the beautiful traditional cultural values of ethnic groups in conjunction with tourism development."
After 3 years of implementing Resolution No. 04-NQ/TU, dated October 11, 2021 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on preserving and promoting the cultural heritage values of Hoa Binh province's ethnic groups in the period of 2021 – 2025 with the orientation to 2030 (NQ04), it has mobilized the participation of the entire political system, the people from all walks of life and there have been positive changes. So far, out of the 10 targets of NQ04, 3 targets have been met and exceeded the plan set for 2025. Typically, 70% of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of ethnic groups in the province is on the list of the national ICH items and they have been protected and restored, exceeding 20% of the proposed Resolution.
Great National Unity Day has been recently celebrated in Duong hamlet, Vay Nua commune, Da Bac district, in an atmosphere of warmth and community spirit. The event highlighted national identity and strengthened the bond of solidarity among residents.
On November 28, the People's Committee of Cao Phong district organized the Cultural and Sports Festival of Cao Phong district's ethnic groups in 2024.
