Mai Chau district of Hoa Binh province is endowed by nature with picturesque landscapes. It also boasts traditional culture and arts of local Thai, Muong, Mong, Dao ethnic minority groups to help the locality to develop tourism associated with cultural conservation and promotion.
The art of "keng loong” dance of the Thai ethnic group in Mai Chau district was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2023.
The art of folk dances and singing is an indispensable part of the ethnic minority groups’ culture. To date, ethnic dances and musical instruments still retain their values in the spiritual life of local ethnic people. The dances are restored at traditional festivals, mass cultural performances, and amateur art shows.
Khap singing artisan Ha Thi Bich in Xam Pa village shared that folk singing clubs not only bring spiritual significance and connect the community but also contribute to promoting and preserving the art of Thai ethnic’s folk singing, particularly among young generations.
Currently, Mai Chau district has 183 art groups, of which 138 teams have been established under decision of the district People's Committee. They have regularly organised exchanges and performances in communes and hamlets in the district, attracting the participation of a large number of people, creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere, promoting local socio-economic development.
In order to preserve and promote folk performing arts widely, every year, the district’s culture, sports and communication centre coordinates with relevant authorities to organise cultural and sports festivals among ethnic people such as Gau Tao festival of the Mong people, Xen Muong festival of the Thai people to help bolster exchanges and strengthen solidarity among ethnic groups in the locality.
To preserve the folk arts of all ethnic groups, in addition to the attention, leadership and direction of administrations at all levels, it is necessary to have the participation of people from all walks of life in preserving and promoting the values of national culture. This not only helps preserve traditional cultural beauty, but also contributes to promoting the image of Mai Chau and its people to domestic and foreign tourists.
With an increasingly vibrant and widespread emulation movement aimed at building cultured residential areas and cultured families, Yen Thuy District has been making steady progress toward improving both the material and spiritual well-being of its people, while fostering a civilized, prosperous, beautiful, and progressive community.
Once lacking recreational spaces and community facilities, Residential Group 2 in Quynh Lam Ward (Hoa Binh City) has recently received attention for the construction of a new, spacious, and fully equipped cultural house. The project followed the model of state support combined with public contributions in both labor and funding.
The "All people unite to build cultural life" movement, which has been effectively integrated with Kim Boi district’s socio-economic development goals, is fostering a lively spirit of emulation across local residential areas, hamlets, villages, public agencies, and enterprises. In addition, through the initiative, traditional cultural values are being preserved and promoted, while community solidarity and mutual support in poverty reduction and economic development are being strengthened.
A working delegation of the Hoa Binh provincial People’s Committee led by its Permanent Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Toan on June 11 inspected the progress of a project to build the Mo Muong Cultural Heritage Conservation Space linked to tourism services in Hop Phong commune, Cao Phong district.
Born and growing in the heroic land of Muong Dong, Dinh Thi Kieu Dung, a resident in Bo town of Kim Boi district, in her childhood was nurtured by the sweet lullabies of her grandmother and mother. These melodies deeply imprinted on her soul, becoming an inseparable part of her love for her ethnic group's culture. For over 20 years, this love for her hometown has driven Dung to research, collect, and pass down the cultural values of the Muong people to future generations.
In the final days of May, the Ethnic Art Troupe of Hoa Binh Province organized performances to serve the people in remote, mountainous, and particularly disadvantaged areas within the province. These were not just ordinary artistic shows, but they were the meaningful journeys aimed at spreading cultural values, enhancing the spiritual life of the people and contributing to the preservation of ethnic minority cultural identities.
