(HBO) – A retired teacher in Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district is known far and wide for his enthusiasm for studying and preserving the cultural values of the Muong ethnic people in Hoa Binh province. Born and growing up in the ancient land of Muong Bi, Bui Van Noi has accumulated a lot of knowledge and documents about Muong ethnic culture.
Bui Van Noi (third, from left) shows people his studies about Muong
culture.
Realising the importance of preserving and promoting the Muong ethnic cultural
identity, he researched and wrote books and articles about culture in general
and Muong ethnic culture in particular. He also participated in the teaching of
the Muong language.
Since 2010, Noi has been the author or co-author of many books and dictionaries
relating to Muong culture. He also wrote for Hoa Binh Newspaper, Hoa Binh Arts
Magazine, Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee website, Nguon sang (Light)
Magazine of Vietnam Folk Arts Association and Ethnology Magazine.
Thanks to his studies and contributions to Muong culture preservation, Noi has
won many awards such as Prize A of the Vietnam Folk Arts Association in 2008;
Prize C of the Vietnam Ethnic Minorities Literature and Arts Association in
2013, a second prize in the contest "90 years of Hoa Binh Culture",
and two third prizes from the Hoa Binh Literature and Arts Association.
Bui Thi Trang, cultural officer of Phong Phu commune, said that
Noi has made great contributions to preserving and promoting the cultural
values of the Muong ethnic group in the commune in particular and Hoa Binh
province in general.
When the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism collected
tangible and intangible cultural values in the area, Noi was one of the active
contributors and he provided the agency with valuable information.
His work helps people across the country understand more about the rich and
unique culture of the Muong ethnic group. Particularly, the Muong script of Hoa
Binh province is being taught and disseminated to units, agencies and schools
throughout the province.
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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