(HBO) - Despite being in her sixties, the passion for Muong culture of Dinh Thi Kieu Dung in Bo village, Bo township, Kim Boi district remains unchanged. She continues to spend time on studying, collecting, and introducing the distinctive values of Muong culture. For Dung, the work she has been doing not only contributes to preserving and promoting the Muong culture in the locality, but is also her way to learn from and follow President Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality, and style.
Dinh Thi Kieu Dung in Bo township (Kim Boi) is teaching local pupils how to perform the Muong gong.
Since childhood, lullabies of her grandmother and mother such as e "dap bong bon" and "da oi, da o" or the Thuong Dang and Bo Meng singing, which often resounded in her family, have deeply ingrained themselves in Dung's soul. Her dream is to be the "fire keeper” and the one who gives soul to Muong culture, and keeps it shining. Dung has dedicated her time to visiting villages, meeting with elders, and collecting ancient folk melodies.
Additionally, on Sundays, she organizes classes to teach young people how to perform traditional musical instruments, and Muong folk songs and dances.
Currently, she is compiling two books "Nhung lan dieu dan ca Muong” (The Melodies of Muong folk songs), and "Nghe thuat danh cong chieng cua nguoi Muong Dong” (The art of playing the gong of Muong Dong people).
Dung hopes that she has much time and good health to continue studying, collecting, preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the Muong people, thus contributing to preserving and promoting the unique cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group.
According to Quach Dinh Thu, Secretary of the Party Committee of Bo township, in recent years, Dung has always been a shining example in popularising and encourage people in her residential area to follow the Party's guidelines, and the State's policies and laws, contributing to building the great national unity.
She actively carries out activities to preserve the traditional culture of the Muong ethnic group, and is also a typical example of studying and following President Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style, he added.
As a land deeply intertwined with human history and Vietnam’s millennia-long journey of nation-building and defence, Hoa Binh is often revered for its epic tales and legends.
Residents of Hoa Binh boast a rich cultural identity, reflected in their unique language, traditional attire, customs, and folk melodies – described as "sweet as honey, clear as a mountain stream.”
Lac Son district’s Vu ban town held the 2025 Truong Kha temple festival on April 12–13 (the 15th–16th days of the third lunar month). Since its revival in 2019, the festival has been organised every three years, preserving valuable intangible heritage while meeting the community’s cultural and spiritual needs.
The clothing of women reflects the culture of the Muong, Thai, Tay, Dao, and Mong ethnic groups in the northern province of Hoa Binh.
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.
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