(HBO) - The Muong ethnic group in the northern province of Hoa Binh has over 40 major festivals yearly, and gongs are used in up to 90% of the festivals. For the Muong people in Hoa Binh, gongs are not only a kind of traditional musical instrument, but also a "sacred treasure", a spiritual story told by 12 national tones and an intangible cultural heritage with a strong vitality as they are preserved by the community.
500 Muong ethnic artisans and women perform
the gong in the Muong Ethnic Group Festival in 2023.
Muong Vang people in Lac Son district in particular and the Muong people in Hoa
Binh in general consider gongs as sacred objects, not merely musical
instruments. The sound of gongs is the soul of their culture, echoing the three
levels of the heavens, reaching the after-death world. The sound of gongs is
spiritually calling the Muong people’s ancestors. The Muong people have
absorbed that sound from the womb. When they die, the sound of gongs tells them
the way. Muong people believe that each gong has a spirit and a soul, so it is
a "sacred treasure" with profound spiritual values.
In the house of artisan Bui Ngoc Thuan, of Bung 1 hamlet, Thu Phong commune,
Cao Phong district, a set of Muong gongs is put in the most precious
place. Thuan usually uses his
gongs to teach the next generations. He said that everyone born as a Muong must know how to play Muong gongs.
At present, every commune in Cao Phong district has a Muong gong performance
team. The teams practice
traditional gongs so that they can perform at celebrations, traditional
festivals, and cultural exchanges. Old people teach young people, parents teach
their children, and senior teach beginners. In that way, the old generation
passes it on to the younger ones, and the gongs are kept in the
community.
Cao Phong district
boasts about 3,000 gongs. Hop Phong and Dung Phong are the two communes with
the largest number of gongs.
Meanwhile, Hoa Binh province still keeps more than 11,000 gongs, mostly in
the four districts of Lac Son, Tan Lac, Kim Boi, and Cao Phong, and Hoa Binh
city. To preserve a top typical cultural treasure of the Muong people in Hoa Binh,
the teaching of Muong gongs has been given much care. The province’s Department of Education and Training has actively cooperated
with the localities to have gongs lessons at schools.
The Women's Unions and Youth Unions at the grassroots level also hold classes
to teach Muong gongs. Every year, the province opens dozens of gong classes for
hamlets/communes musical groups.
Up to now, hundreds of clubs have been established across the province to
preserve and promote the values of Muong gongs. Muong gong performances have by now become an indispensable part of festivals
and celebrations in the province./.
A great national solidarity festival was held in Ngai hamlet, Thach Yen commune, Cao Phong district, on November 8. Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hoa Binh province Bui Van Khanh, and Colonel Trinh Duc Thiem, Commander of the provincial Military Command, attended the event.
A great national unity festival was held in Cau Son hamlet in Nhuan Trach commune of Luong Son district on November 10.
The organising board for the Hoa Binh Culture and Tourism Week 2024 has officially released its press statement.
The People’s Committee of Hoa Binh province held a press conference on November 5 to announce the details of its upcoming 2024 Culture-Tourism Week.
The ancient Muong area of Muong Dong – Kim Boi is experiencing a cultural resurgence, becoming a popular source of spiritual enrichment and drawing locals from walks of life.
On November 3rd, the residential area, sub-zone 1, Mai Chau town (Mai Chau) organized the Great National Solidarity and the Culture Festival between the local people and the armed forces. There was the attendance of Colonel Do Thanh Binh, the Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, the Director of the Provincial Public Security; the leaders from the appropriate departments and branches of the province and Mai Chau district. This is the residential area chosen to host the Great Solidarity Festival in the district in 2024.
