The Khai Ha Festival of Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh province was held on a provincial scale from February 16 - 18 in Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district.
A special musical performance at the opening ceremony of the festival.
At the opening ceremony, festival-goers took part in a palanquin procession and rituals, worshipping the gods of the land and heads of the village.
They also joined a mass gong performance, which featured the participation of more than 500 local artisans, a fashion show introducing Muong ethnic costumes, a fair displaying typical agricultural and tourism products, and various sporting events, such as tug of war, stick-pushing, and crossbow shooting.
Khai Ha Festival, also known as the ploughing or forest opening festival, has a connection with wet rice cultivation, which carries a sign of the civilisation of the ancient Vietnamese.
The event, the largest traditional festival in Hoa Binh, is an indispensable cultural practice of Muong ethnic people in the province every spring.
The Khai Ha festival of the Muong people in Tan Lac, Lac Son, Cao Phong, and Kim Boi districts was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage.
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 This effort requires not only protecting the cultural identity but also eliminating outdated customs and developing a modern cultural lifestyle, contributing to sustainable values for the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.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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