Since its establishment, the Chieng Chau brocade weaving cooperative in Mai Chau district has gathered many members, helping to share experience in the traditional craft and enhance weaving skills among local women, helping to build a brand for the cooperative's products.
joining the Chieng Chau brocade weaving cooperative helps Lo Thi Chanh in Chieng Chau commune have a stable income.
When she was 13 years old, Lo Thi Chanh in Chieng Chau hamlet, Chieng Chau commune, knew how to weave brocade. After getting married, in addition to farming, she did weaving at home and sold her products to private traders. This craft helps her earn an additional 2 million VND (nearly 79 USD) per month. However, her products did not have a brand name, so their value is not high. joining the cooperative, Chanh learned many more skills from others, and her products have a brand name and are known by more and more customers.
Vi Thi Oanh, Deputy Director of the Chieng Chau brocade weaving cooperative, said it has 21 official members and 40 unofficial members who participate in production when there are orders. This craft is suitable for women in mountainous areas during the agricultural off-season.
To expand and diversify income sources, the cooperative has planted mulberry trees and breeding silkworms to serve tourists, she said, adding that the cooperative aims to design many new products that align with consumers’ demand and bring them to domestic and international markets.
Not only producing based on orders, the Hoa Ban cooperative in Lac village, Chieng Chau commune, has also created its own designed products and operated a traditional craft store.
Vi Thi Thuan, Director of the Hoa Ban cooperative, said since its establishment, it has provided regular employment for local women.
Despite being newly established, the cooperative has 17 members and 8 affiliated households, Thuan said, noting that it has continued to diversify products to meet customers’ demand and increase incomes for its members.
For many years, the Luong Phu Agricultural Services Cooperative in Phong Phu commune of Tan Lac district has still persevered with handicrafts. It has also received numerous orders from abroad, ensuring regular jobs for its members.
Bui Thi Quynh in Muong Lo hamlet said after joining the cooperative, she earns from 5-6 million VND per month.
According to Director of the cooperative Nguyen Thi Bay, the establishment creates jobs for 600 workers, with 90% of them being ethnic minority people.
In the coming time, the cooperative will continue to link with units to seek more orders, helping its members have more jobs and increase their income, she added.
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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