(HBO) - Through many ups and downs of history, Khai ha (going down to the field) festival has been preserved by the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh province, becoming their indispensable cultural and religious activity every spring. joining the festival, locals wish for a peaceful and prosperous life.
Khai ha festival was promoted at a special art programme in 2022 when the province received certificates recognising bamboo calendar and the festival as national intangible heritage.
Talking about the cultural value of the Khai ha festival, Luu Huy Linh, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the heritage reflects, preserves and disseminates the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group, and demonstrates admiration and veneration of the god who set up the Muong land. The festival also aims to strengthening community cohesion, and is a spiritual and cultural activity reminding younger generations of the tradition of the ethnic group.
Today, Khai ha is one of the most pervasive festivals that have a great influence on the spiritual life of the Muong ethnic group. In 2022, with many efforts of the province, this festival was recognised as national intangible cultural heritage.
The festival, also dubbed as the ploughing or forest opening festival, has connection with the wet rice cultivation which carries a sign of civilisation of the ancient Vietnamese. Khai ha in each Muong region takes place at different times and places./.
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.
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