Having applied himself to researching and preserving traditional culture, Meritorious Artisan Bui Huy Vong in Huong Nhuong commune, Lac Son district, has won high regard from many people for his dedication to the Muong ethnic culture.
Meritorious Artisan Bui Huy Vong shares his journey to
research and preserve the Muong ethnic group’s culture.
Vong said researching and preserving the Muong
culture and bringing into play the good cultural values of ancestors in the
modern life is an arduous journey. However, thanks to support from district and
grassroots authorities as well as local artisans, he has obtained certain
achievements.
In particular, he has helped with the
restoration of some traditional festivals such as those of the Khenh Communal
House in Van Son commune, the Bang Communal House in Ngoc Son commune, and the
Khoi Communal House in An Nghia commune. He has written and published nearly 20
books, about 10 scientific articles on specialised magazines, along with
hundreds of articles, short stories, and research papers on central and local
media agencies.
Recalling difficulties and endeavours in the
restoration of local temples and festivals, Vong noted it took almost 10 years,
from 2001 to 2010, to rehabilitate the main hall of the Bang Communal House,
but it was not until 2016 that the Chay Dat - Chay Muong ritual of this site’s
festival was revived. Besides, it took up to 15 years, from 2003 to 2018, to
have the main hall and festival of the Khenh Communal House restored.
As the core zone of the Muong culture, Lac Son
district has also paid attention to revitalising the Muong ethnic singing. As a
result, the folk singing movement has become popular in the local community
over the last 10 years. Five clubs of "thuong rang” and "bo meng”, two types of
the Muong folk singing, have come into being, drawing more than 200 artisans.
Not only an artisan, collector, and researcher,
Vong is also one of the first person to post video clips about the Muong
singing on YouTube, attracting millions of viewers.
However, he is still concerned that many
valuable cultural heritages like the Vanh village stone shelter, the Trai
hamlet cave, Mo Muong, Muong gongs, as well as the customs and folk songs of
Muong people remain untapped. District authorities have just restored traditional
festivals and utilised the ethnic group’s space and cuisine for tourism
development.
Vong expressed his hope that the local Party
Committee and People's administration will hold regular meetings with artisans,
collectors, researchers, and those preserving the traditional culture. They
should create a space at major events and folk festivals for Muong singing
artisans in Lac Son, as well as those from across Hoa Binh province and other
localities, to engage in exchanges. In addition, it is important to pay more
heed to tourism promotion to bring into play the role of the local community
and artisans of the Muong culture.
Lac Thinh commune, Yen Thuy district, is home to 1,635 households, of which 82% are ethnic minorities, mainly Muong people. In recent years, the commune has prioritised to developing cultural clubs, aiming to both enrich the community's spiritual life and preserve traditional cultural values.
Suoi Ben is a remote village located about 40km away from Luong Son town, bordering Kim Boi district, with the majority of its households being Dao.
Lac Son district in Hoa Binh province is a treasure of cultural heritages, boasting 13 provincial-level relics and landscape sites. Of them, two are special national relic sites, namely the Xom Trai cave archaeological site and the Lang Vanh rock shelter, as well as one national relic site - the Muong Khoi Revolutionary Base. These landmarks reflect the region's rich cultural and historical significance.
In the afternoon of September 27, the Provincial Museum collaborated with the Culture and Information Department and the Department of Education and Training of Hoa Binh City to organize a promotional event to introduce the outstanding cultural heritage values of the city at Phuc Tien Primary and Secondary School in Quang Tien Commune.
In a bid to preserve and introduce Muong culture to a wider audience across the country, in August, artist Vu Duc Hieu officially brought to the capital city pottery works inspired by the Muong ethnic community in Hoa Binh province by creating a rich cultural space at 85 Nhat Chieu street in Tay Ho district.
The movement "All people unite to build cultural life" has become a cornerstone of community development in Lac Son district, aligning with national rural development goals and local patriotic initiatives.
