(HBO) - In 2 days, March 6th and 7th, the fesstival of Ke pagoda in 2023 took place in Phu Vinh commune (Tan Lac).
The performance of Muong gongs at the festival.
The festival of Ke Pagoda is the first clearing ceremony of the year, according to the Muong language is "Le tha Cha chua”. The festival is a religious and community activity associated with wet-rice agriculture in order to return to the roots and express the gratitude to the Buddha and the village lords who have helped the people to build Ke ditch to bring water to the fields, teach the people to build the land and establish Muong area. It is also to wish for a year of favorale rain, the peaceful wind, which is full of happiness. The festival is also an opportunity for people to meet, exchange, tighten the solidarity and propagate the preservation and promotion of the national cultural identity in the customs and culinary life of the local people.
At the festival, the delegates and the local people had an opportinity to watch the concert of Muong gongs and the special cultural performances imbued with the national identity; visiting the stalls displaying the traditional handicraft products, the ethnic musical instruments and the cuisine. The festival organizing board organized the competitions in sports and folk games such as aray fighting, cotton ball throwing, stall dancing, swings, stilt walking, volleyball, etc.
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 This effort requires not only protecting the cultural identity but also eliminating outdated customs and developing a modern cultural lifestyle, contributing to sustainable values for the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.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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