(HBO) – The People’s Committee of Cao Phong district on August 18 organised a workshop on Mo Muong, unique cultural heritage of the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh province. The event brought together representatives from the People’s Committee and 50 artisans from three Mo Muong clubs in Cao Phong, Tan Lac, and Lac Son districts.
Bui Van Dong, a Mo practitioner in Thach Yen commune, Cao Phong district, performs Mo Muong at the workshop.
Mo Muong is a job and also a performance practiced at funerals, religious
festivals, and life cycle rituals by the Muong ethnic group. The art consists
of Mo prayers and performances, by Mo practitioners, or Mo artisans.
Cao Phong is home to 37 Mo artisans, and eight learners and assistants, all of
them members the Mo Muong Thang Club.
Currently, most of the Mo artisans are old, thus hindering their efforts in
teaching and preserving the art. Therefore, the workshop was intended to seek ways to preserve and promote
intangible cultural heritage values of Mo Muong in the new situation.
Participants also looked into how to raise the sense of responsibility among
the artisans for the research, popularisation and practice of Mo Muong.
They shared the view that Mo Muong Thanh in particular and Mo clubs in general
should offer regular training to young Mo practitioners, and organise
activities encouraging people to join preservation efforts. They also proposed
all-level authorities issue more specific policies in support of the
preservation and promotion of the unique cultural heritage.
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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