As the Muong ethnic people make up more than 63% of Hoa Binh province’s population, joint efforts have been made to preserve the Muong language. The Muong community in the province now use both Vietnamese and their mother tongue daily with the latter preferred in communication in family life.
Students at a Muong language class.
In 2016, Hoa Binh province developed and officially put into use the Muong ethnic script which helps Muong ethnic children learn and use the Muong language – a way to preserve and promote national cultural identity.
According to folk culture researcher Bui Huy Vong, from Huong Nhuong commune, Lac Son district, the Muong ethnic script plays an important role in preserving the intangible cultural heritage of Mo Muong accurately, completely and scientifically.
Mo Muong is a job and also a performance practised at funerals, religious festivals, and life cycle rituals by the Muong ethnic group. The art consists of Mo prayers and performances, by Mo practitioners, or Mo artisans. Through generations, Mo prayers have been passed down verbally in the community.
Vong said that the script of Mo Muong can be used and translated into other languages to facilitate the establishment of scientific documents about Mo Muong. Moreover, with the scrips, the Muong language can live forever with other Muong cultural values. Seeing the fact that a group of the young generation of Muong people or local State employees doing mass mobilisation work cannot speak the Muong language, the provincial People’s Committee in 2019 approved a project on Muong language teaching and learning in the 2018-2025 period with a vision to 2035.
In 2023, Hoa Binh Pedagogical College opened Muong language classes for local officials, civil servants and public employees.
Do An, a student of a Muong language class, said that he now can speak Muong language which is useful for his work. Moreover, it helps him understand more about the customs and culture of the Muong ethnic group.
According to the 2024 - 2025 plan, the province’s Department of Education and Training will open other classes for 2,500 local officials, civil servants and public employees plus 2,500 teachers of schools across the province.
In addition, the province also pays attention to popularising and mobilising the community to preserve the Muong language, particularly through folk songs.
On November 6, the residential area, Nam Thai hamlet, Doan Ket commune (Yen Thuy) organized the Great National Solidarity Festival and celebrated the 94th anniversary of the traditional day of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (November 18, 1930 - November 18, 2024). There was the attendance of Mr. Nguyen Tien Sinh, the Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, the Chairman of the Provincial Party Committee's Inspection Commission, and the leaders of the appropriate departments and branches of the province and Yen Thuy district.
The authorities and community in Yen Thuy district are dedicated to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of ethnic groups in the locality. Yen Thuy is home to seven ethnic groups, with the Muong making up over 69% of the population.
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.
