(HBO) – With their love for the homeland and pride in the nation's traditional values, since early 2022, two Muong ethnic students - Sam Bich Ngoc and Tran Hai Ha who are studying in the ethnic boarding high school of Hoa Binh province, have implemented a study on a fishing festival of the Muong people in the province.
Sam Bich Ngoc and Tran Hai Ha (C) are
inquiring information from leaders of the People's Committee of Lo Son commune
(Tan Lac district) about the fishing festival of the Muong people in Hoa Binh.
Not only learning through books, newspapers and historical documents, the
students have also made field trips to Tan Lac and Lac Son districts and met
folklore researchers there.
The more they learned, the more interesting and meaningful issues they found,
making both determined to carry out the scientific study on the unique
festival.
The fishing festival of the Muong people ịn Hoa Binh originated from the Lang
dynasty. Its aims to catch the biggest, most delicious and beautiful fish, and
offer them to the gods to pray for good weather and bountiful crops.
Later, the festival not only became a cultural identity of the local people,
but was also considered an effective solution to help protect aquatic resources
in rivers and streams, demonstrating the sense of exploitation and
sustainabledevelopment of aquatic resources, and the spirit of living in
harmony with nature of the Muong people in Hoa Binh.
"We found that this festival bears the philosophy of life, but
unfortunately it is gradually being forgotten. Less and less people know about
this festival, even those from the Muong Bi and Muong Vang regions, which are
the two "cradles" of the festival”, Ha said.
The students said they have conducted a questionnaire survey on the
preservation of the festival in Tan Lac and Lac Son districts.
The survey shows that most of respondents are not fully aware of the purpose
and significance of the festival, they said, adding that the festival is not
yet held every year as a traditional festival of the locality.
Through their study "Some solutions to preserve the fishing festival of
the Muong Bi and Muong Vang people in Hoa Binh province", the students
hope to contribute to raising public awareness of the significance of the
festival and the importance of preserving and promoting it.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, the teacher that directly guides Ngoc and Ha to implement
the study, said the students are aware of the rights and obligations of
citizens towards implementing cultural policies through introducing and
preserving local cultural identities.
"I am very happy to see that they have a real love and passion for the
traditional culture of the country”, she said, adding that the students came up
with suitable solutions to contribute to preserving the festival.
Turning their love into action, Ngoc and Ha set up a fanpage to introduce the
festival and call for community efforts to preserve the festival. The page
features articles and studies on the festival and updates useful information on
other festivals in Hoa Binh./.
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.