The recent 2023 folk art festival of ethnic minority groups in Hoa Binh province featured outstanding performance of songs and dances as well as reenactments of outstanding festivals, leaving good impression on folk art lovers.
An impressive performance of Lac Son district at the festival.
During the two-day festival, nearly 300 artisans and artists from 10 district-level localities across Hoa Binh showed their outstanding singing and dancing performances and reenacted some outstanding arts and festivals of their ethnic groups and localities. The event aimed to help preserve and bring into play cultural heritage values of local ethnic minorities.
Luu Huy Linh, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and head of the festival organising committee, said that on the occasion of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23), the department stepped up the organisation of folk art festivals of ethnic minority groups at all levels.
As many as 80 of the 151 communal-level localities organised festivals with more than 16,000 performers, attracting over 40,000 spectators. Ten district-level festivals were also held with the participation of 10 communes, wards, and townships, 3,400 performers, and over 10,000 spectators. The provincial-level event featured performances by people of all age groups, including many holding the Meritorious Artist and People’s Artist titles.
In particular, part of traditional cultural rituals, festivals, and ceremonies were also reenacted, helping spectators gain a better understanding of cultural and religious identities of ethnic groups.
Linh went on to say that those festivals provided not only playgrounds for folk art groups but also occasions for local artisans and artists to show their skills, share experience, and improve their performing capacity. They helped enrich people’s spiritual life, maintain cultural identities of ethnic groups, and develop cultural activities in the community, thereby gradually meeting the public’s cultural enjoyment demand.
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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