(HBO) – Coming into being very early in the history of the Muong ethnic group and containing unique values, the bamboo calendar, called Doi or Roi calendar, of Muong people in Hoa Binh province was recently honoured as part of the national intangible cultural heritage. Basing on the time division in a year and the movement of the moon and stars, local residents discovered and have applied the rule of the nature to their daily life.
Photo: Mo artisan Bui Van Lung in Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district,
uses the bamboo calendar to forecast good days for local people’s affairs.
Bui Van Lung, a Mo Muong artisan in Muong Lam
hamlet of Phong Phu commune (Tan Lac district), said that the bamboo calendar
plays a special role in the life of the Muong community and also forms a
priceless treasure of folk knowledge. Aside from the popular Western calendar,
all production and daily activities, as well as customs, rituals, festivals and
important events of each person and family in the Muong community in Hoa Binh,
are based on the bamboo calendar.
The calendar comprises 12 carefully made bamboo
bars which are inscribed with notches, lines, and holes called symbols that
represent days, months, and natural phenomena in a month.
The bars are inscribed with 30 notches
representing 30 days in a lunar month.The days from the 1st to the 10th
are called "cay” days, the 11th to 20th "long” day, and the21st to 30th
"cuoi” days. Muong people often hold important events on the first days ("cay”
days) of a month.
At present, apart from being used in the community,
the bamboo calendar is also kept at the Muong Cultural Space Museum and the
private Museum of the Muong Culture in Hoa Binh city to preserve and introduce
it to local residents and visitors from far and wide.
Artisan Bui Thanh Binh, a researcher of the
Muong ethnic culture, said that the calendar is the quintessence built up over
many generations of Muong people and also a typical demonstration of the Muong
- Viet people’s consciousness of the world, obtained through their observation
of the movement of the moon and the Doi (Roi) constellation.
Until the late 20th century, the bamboo calendar
was still used across the areas of Muong people. Nowadays, there remain five
ancient sets of the bamboo calendar dating back hundreds of years and more than
100 new ones being used in the community in Hoa Binh province.
Together with the Khai Ha Festival, the bamboo
calendar of Muong people in Hoa Binh was recognised as part of the national
intangible cultural heritage in 2022.
Luu Huy Linh, Deputy Director of the provincial
Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, held that it is necessary to enhance
the bamboo calendar preservation, step up communications and research to teach
locals in how to apply it to their daily life, and make use of the calendar and
other special cultural heritage pieces to develop tourism./.
The 10th art festival for the armed forces, youths and students of Hoa Binh province celebrating the 80th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army and 35th anniversary of the All People’s Defence Day wrapped up on April 25.
Xoe dance, an unique art form of the Thai ethnic minority group in Mai Chau district of Hoa Binh province has existed for a long time and passed down through generations. Xoe dance is not only a popular dance in the Thai community but also a unique cultural feature, an indispensable part in the Thai ethnic minority people's cultural and spiritual life.
The Bac Son pre-school in Hung Son commune, Kim Boi district is effectively implementing a model of preserving and promoting cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group.
Through ups and downs, many unique cultural features of the Muong ethnic minority group are facing risks of falling into oblivion. However, with a strong determination, Lac Son district of Hoa Binh province has deployed synchronous solutions to preserve and promote the locality's cultural heritage values.
If Tan Lac is considered the core of the cradle of Muong culture in Hoa Binh, Phong Phu commune is the cultural centre of Muong culture in Tan Lac district. Luy Ai hamlet in Phong Phu commune is where customs and traditions of Muong Bi are preserved. Luy Ai hamlet was chosen to build a space to preserve Muong ethnic culture. The district is seeking support from the province and coordinating with relevant agencies to devise a plan on preservation of Muong cultural spaces associated with developing tourism products and improving the lives of local residents.
Nguyen Manh Tuan, a Muong ethnic man in Ba Hang Doi town, Lac Thuy district, is known as a young, dedicated, and outstanding artisan who has made significant contributions in collecting, restoring, and preserving national cultural values.
