The provincial Union of Science and Technology in coordination with the Heritage Park for Scientists & Scholars of Vietnam has organised a symposium on culture traits associated with Tay Tien (Westward advancing) soldiers and tourism along the route they once marched.
A view of the symposium.
The May 17 event formed part of the
science-technology activities aiming to promote the cultural and historical
values of documents and objects related to the Tay Tien Regiment, thus
promoting local tourism.
Other activities include adding more than 50
documents and objects presented by the soldiers’ relatives to the provincial
museum, raising the total number of such items collected since 2012 to 350; and
clarifying many stories featuring sentiments between the soldiers and
residents, notably ethnic groups in Hoa Binh province.
The Tay Tien front covered Hanoi, Hoa Binh, Son
La, and Thanh Hoa of Vietnam, and Huaphanh of Laos.
Over the past time, Hoa Binh and other
localities have carried out an array of activities to commemorate Tay Tien
soldiers and raise youths’ awareness of their sacrifice.
There are three relic sites associated with the
regiment, of them two in Lac Son (Hoa Binh) and Muong Lat (Thanh Hoa) winning
the provincial status, and the other in Moc Chau (Son La) earning the national
recognition.
At the symposium, participants looked into the
cultural and historical values of the documents and objects, and raised
proposals to promote Tay Tien tourism in Hoa Binh, as well as tours along the
route, from Hanoi through Hoa Binh and Son La to Huaphanh.
Mo is a term referring to a profession and cultural heritage which integrates folk beliefs with folk culture and arts. Practiced at funerals and religious rituals by the Muong ethnic people, it aims to provide spiritual comfort during significant life events such as illness and death.
Hoa Binh leaves a strong impression on visitors due to the diversity in the lifestyle and cultural identities of its ethnic groups. The province is home to six main ethnic groups, with a total population of nearly 900,000. The largest group is Muong, making up 63.3% of the population, followed by Kinh with 27.73%, Thai 3.9%, Tay 2.7%, Dao 1.7%, Mong 0.52%, and other ethnic groups 1.18%. Along with the long history of the nation’s formation and defence, the province’s ethnic groups have always been united, hardworking, and determined to strive for socio-economic development. At the same time, each ethnic group displays its own unique and distinct cultural identity, contributing to a diverse, rich, and attractive cultural tapestry.
Hoa Binh province has carried out multiple programmes and initiatives to revive its cultural heritage which has gradually fallen into oblivion through the ebbs and flows of history.
The most prominent and defining feature in the prehistoric era of Hoa Binh is the Hoa Binh Culture. The Culture was first discovered in Hoa Binh. The significant prehistoric culture represents not only Vietnam but also Southeast Asia and southern China. Through excavations of cave sites in the limestone regions of Hoa Binh, French archaeologist M. Colani introduced the world to a "Stone Age in Hoa Binh province – Northern Vietnam" in 1927. On January 30, 1932, the First Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians, held in Hanoi, officially recognised the Hoa Binh Culture.
Known as the "Land of Epic History”, Hoa Binh province, the gateway to Vietnam’s northwest, boasts a strategic location and a unique cultural tapestry woven by its ethnic minority communities.
The People's Committee of Luong Son District recently held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Sau Communal House in Thanh Cao Commune as a provincial-level historical and cultural site.
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