(HBO) - The people of ethnic groups in Kim Boi district of Hoa Binh district have been proud to belong to the Muong Dong area - one of the four Muong regions (Bi - Vang - Thang - Dong) which is rich in cultural identity.
Meritorious artist Bach Thi Dao in Xuan Thuy commune
(Kim Boi district) teaches folk singing to young people.
At present, residents in Xuan Thuy, Vinh Tien, Vinh Dong,
Kim Lap and Nam Thuong communes are still keeping a large number of Muong
gongs. Most of the hamlets and wards have established art teams, equipped with
12 gongs for practice and performance. Clubs have been set up in several
localities to preserve cultural identity, with focus on preserving and
promoting the value of Muong gong art and Muong folk songs.
Meritorious artist Bach Thi Dao, head of the Muong folk
singing and gong club in Xuan Thuy commune, said that from the love for Muong
culture, with the permission of the local Party Committee and authorities, the
club was set up and has operated regularly. The club is also often invited to
perform to serve tourists at Kim Boi Mineral Spring resort.
This year, due to complicated developments of the COVID-19
pandemic, the Muong Dong festival did not have festive activities as in
previous years, but still held the ritual ceremony with the participation of
more than 200 people living in Vinh Dong commune and some neighboring communes.
The festival has been re-acted from the 2017 Lunar New Year on the 7th and 8th
days of the first lunar month.
According to Nguyen Thanh Ha, head of the district's
Division of Culture and Information, in recent years, along with the Muong Dong
festival, other traditional festivals have been re-acted and organised,
contributing to the promotion of local culture and tourism. They include the
Xuong Mua (going to the field) festival in Chanh hamlet of Vinh Dong commune;
Sim pagoda festival - Sim Ngoai hamlet, Hop Tien commune; Lap communal house
festival - Lap hamlet, Kim Lap commune; Ne pagoda festival - Ne hamlet, Xuan
Thuy commune; Boi pagoda festival - Boi Ca hamlet, Nam Thuong commune; Ba Bi
Communal House - Ba Bi hamlet, Hung Son commune; and Da pagoda festival - Treo
hamlet, Tu Son commune./.
Hoa Binh province has shown strong performance in family planning by effectively implementing directions and plans in the field, including Directive No. 12/CT-UBND issued by the Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee on August 4, 2021 on rolling out measures to maintain the policy of each couple having two children, which is stated in community rules and the regulations of agencies, organisations, and units across the province of Hoa Binh for the 2021 – 2025 period.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended a hybrid conference on December 18 to review the culture, sport, and tourism sector’s performance in 2024 and launch key tasks for 2025. Standing Deputy Secretary of the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Council Bui Duc Hinh, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Chuong and officials from local departments and sectors also took part in the event.
Hoa Binh’s Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on December 18, hosted a conference to present the outcomes of a research study on the traditional costumes of the Muong ethnic group.
Along with the activities of Project 6 - the national target programme for socio-economic development in ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas for the 2021 – 2026 period, efforts to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities in Lac Son district have received additional momentum.
In the context of globalisation and deeper integration, preserving and promoting the national cultural identity is of utmost importance. Aware of their pioneering and proactive role on all fronts, over the years, the youth organisations at all levels in Hoa Binh province have implemented various concrete and practical activities to preserve and promote the cultural identities of ethnic groups in the locality.