(HBO) – In the recent past, the amateur musical movement in Luong Son district of Hoa Binh province has developed strongly. Amateur musical clubs and troupes have been set up in villages and residential areas with the participation of a large number of people of all ages, thus helping enrich the community’s spiritual life and preserve traditional cultural values.
Members of the musical troupe of Coi village in Tan
Vinh commune (Luong Son district) rehearse gong performances to prepare for
coming shows.
Coi village boasts a strong amateur musical
movement in Tan Vinh commune. Bui Thi Chinh, head of the village’s musical
troupe, said they gather at the village’s cultural centre every weekend evening
to train for the coming communications contest as well as major anniversaries
and local political events. Thanks to these training sessions, members have
also had a chance to better understand one another and enhance solidarity.
At present, amateur arts troupes in localities
of Luong Son district are busy preparing for the communications contest 2022.
Aside from modern singing and dancing performances, folk songs, dances and
traditional musical instruments are also form part of their shows so as to help
preserve traditional culture.
Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, head of the district’s
culture and information division, said the amateur musical movement is
developing strongly. Aside from grassroots art troupes in localities, many
agencies, associations and organisations also set up their musical clubs and
troupes.
She noted a number of these clubs and troupes
have utilised private funding to purchase performance costumes and musical
instruments, maintain their activities, and take part in contests and shows at
different levels. In addition, they have also made use of their performances to
disseminate the Party’s guidelines, the State’s policies and laws, and their
localities’ regulations, which has received warm support from the local
audiences.
To continue helping implement the plan on
preserving and bringing into play outstanding intangible cultural heritage
values of ethnic groups in Hoa Binh province for the 2018 - 2030 period, the
culture and information division of Luong Son district has worked with the
Centre for Culture, Information and Communications to open annual training
courses on the Muong ethnic group’s gong culture, folk songs and folk dances
for local art troupes. The move also aimed at creating a new generation of
young artisans who will uphold the cultural heritage, including songs and
dances, of the Muong people, according to Hang./.
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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