(HBĐT) – Despite his old age, 80-year-old Bui Ngoc Thuan from Bung 1 village, Thu Phong commune, Cao Phong district, is still active and in his right mind. Twenty five years since his retirement, he has dedicated himself to preserving and promoting folk culture.

Meritorious
Artist Bui Ngoc Thuan (R) instructs members of art troupe of Bung 1 village,
Thu Phong commune, Cao Phong district, how to play gongs
Thuan said on several occasions, the front yard of his house
is used as a practising place of the local singing club. He said when he was a
child, he followed his grandparents, father and uncles to learn how to play
gongs and sing along. When he grew up, his father taught him Muong gong
tradition. Later, returning to the hometown after fulfilling State service, he
continued upholding the role of an exemplary Party member. With the voice of a
reputable person, he called on local residents to stay united and join hands to
build cultural lifestyle.
Muong Thang area has a traditional craft of knitting.
Following his retirement, he found out that this craft had fallen into oblivion
with only a few people mastering it, apart from himself. With a desire to
revive the traditional craft, he both studied the market to seek consumption
and handed over lessons to young people. So far, traditional handicraft
products made by local villagers have been favoured by customers thanks to
their durability and eco-friendly materials.
In recent years, the local Party committee and authorities
have paid attention to the preservation of ethnic cultural identity. Thuan is
one of the outstanding individuals who actively engage in the effort.
Thuan said with pride that clubs maintain their regular
activities, especially the folk singing club. On every Saturday evening, its
members gather at cultural house to practice singing. Many of them are chosen
to perform at local major events, festivals and competitions at the district
and provincial levels.
He also devoted a lot of enthusiasm to preserving and
promoting the value of Muong gong cultural heritage as the head of the Muong
Thang gong club.
Thuan is the only artisan of Cao Phong district to be
awarded with the title of Meritorious Artist (in the field of folk performing
arts) by the President./.
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.