Promoting Hoa Binh cultural heritage values: Part 1 - Hoa Binh follows President Ho Chi Minh’s vision of cultural heritage preservation

3/17/2025 - 3:10:51 PM

Hoa Binh province, renowned as the cradle of the Muong ethnic group and the celebrated Hoa Binh Civilisation, boasts rich and distinctive cultural heritage. Numerous local traditions and cultural assets have been recognised as part of the national tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

The annual Khai Ha Festival of the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh is a significant cultural event aimed at fostering patriotism and national pride, and raising public awareness about preserving and promoting the national cultural identity.

President Ho Chi Minh used to strongly emphasise the importance of safeguarding the nation’s cultural heritage. According to him, preserving and promoting cultural values must be based on respecting and inheriting the achievements of previous generations. He advocated cherishing and bringing into play positive cultural values while resolutely rejecting harmful cultural influences and outdated customs. He also pointed out the need to concurrently upholding the cultural identity and acquiring cultural essence of the world.

Giving attention to cultural heritage preservation, at its fifth session, the 8th-tenure Party Central Committee issued a resolution on "building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture deeply imbued with the national identity", emphasising the preservation and promiotion of cultural heritage as a key mission. At its ninth session, the 11th-tenure Party Central Committee issued another resolution on "building and developing the Vietnamese culture and people to meet the country’s sustainable development goals", further stressing the need to mobilise the entire society's efforts to uphold and bring into play traditional cultural values.

At the National Cultural Conference in November 2021, then Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong underscored the importance of preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, embracing global cultural quintessence, while enhancing the quality and effectiveness of new cultural value creation. Building a healthy and civilised cultural environment must go hand in hand with resolute efforts to combat negative, unethical, and anti-cultural elements, and safeguard the values of truth, goodness, and beauty.

President Ho Chi Minh's viewpoints and the Party's guidelines have been applied creatively and effectively by Hoa Binh's Party organisation, administration, and people of all ethnic groups to help develop an advance culture deeply imbued with the national identity.

In recent years, Hoa Binh has made significant strides in perfecting the policies and legal framework related to cultural heritage. The province has actively takenconcrete actions and solutions to implement national strategies, programmes, and projects dedicated to protecting and optimising cultural heritage. As a result, public awareness of cultural heritage and the importance of preservation efforts has improved considerably.

A landmark step in this direction was the issuance of Resolution No. 04-NQ/TU by the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee on October 11, 2021, which outlines tasks to preserve and promote cultural heritage values of local ethnic groups from 2021 to 2025, with a vision toward 2030. It aims to ensure effective preservation and promotion while embedding cultural values into community life, fostering cultural exchange to enrich ethnic cultural identities, and leveraging cultural heritage for sustainable tourism and socio-economic development.

Nguyen Van Toan, Standing Vice Chairman of the Hoa Binh provincial People's Committee, said the province has prioritised developing plans and projects to preserve and promote traditional cultural values of ethnic groups. These efforts have yielded positive outcomes, with greater awareness about the significance of cultural heritage among local Party committees, administrations, and the public.

Innovative approaches have been adopted, including the establishment of folk culture and arts clubs, along with initiatives to teach traditional folk songs, crafts, and the Muong gong art. These efforts have been widely embraced by local communities.

The "All people unite to build cultural life" movement, linked to building new-style rural areas and civilised urban areas, has also gained strong public support. Investment in cultural facilities has improved public spaces, meeting people's cultural demand and enhancing community bonds.

Recognising and honouring individuals who safeguard and practice cultural heritage has further inspired efforts to preserve these invaluable traditions. Hoa Binh has actively identified and catalogued significant heritage sites, and also mobilised resources to restore and turn them into tourist attractions. Revolutionary historical sites have become important landmarks for educating younger generations about the country’s proud history.

Currently, 70% of the province's intangible cultural heritage elements were recognised at the national level, with ongoing efforts to secure UNESCO recognition for the Mo Muong cultural practice as intangible cultural heritage of humanity in need of urgent safeguarding.

Building a cultural conservation area for Muong ethnic group in Luy Ai hamlet

Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district of Hoa Binh province, is widely regarded as the cultural heartland of the Muong ethnic group. Among its many traditional communities, Luy Ai hamlet (formerly Ai hamlet) stands out as a rare location where the customs and way of life of the Muong Bi people remain largely intact.

Truong Kha temple festival celebrates Muong cultural heritage

The Truong Kha temple festival, a distinctive cultural event held every three years in Vu Ban township, Lac Son district, returned recently with vibrant rituals and folk traditions of the Muong people. Located next to the Buoi River in the Muong Trao fields, the Truong Kha Temple is dedicated to the three Kun Dol deities, revered for teaching farming techniques, irrigation, weaving, and protecting the harvest.

Hoa Binh city residents enjoy upgraded cultural houses

The demand for spaces serving community activities of residents in various areas across Hoa Binh city has been satisfied as local cultural houses now feature modern, spacious facilities thanks to the effective implementation of Resolution No. 49/NQ-HDND issued on December 28, 2021 by the city People's Council, which approved the plan for reorganising, converting, and allocating land for the construction, repair, and expansion of cultural houses in Hoa Binh’s villages and residential areas until 2025.

Enhancing cultural and spiritual life in remote and ethnic minority areas

At the end of May, the Hoa Binh Provincial Ethnic Arts Troupe organized a series of performances for residents in Region 2 and Region 3 communes across the province. Bringing art to ethnic communities in remote, isolated, and especially disadvantaged areas has become a meaningful activity. These are not merely artistic performances but also journeys to disseminate cultural values, enrich spiritual life, and contribute to preserving the cultural identity of ethnic minorities.

Preserving the traditional brocade weaving craft of the H’Mong people in Pa Co commune

In recent years, alongside the development of a tourism-oriented economy, the traditional brocade weaving craft of the Mong people in Pa Co Commune, Mai Chau district has been gradually preserved and promoted. It has become a unique indigenous cultural feature, contributing to improving the livelihoods of the ethnic minority community.

Hop Tien commune preserves and promotes the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group

Hop Tien commune, Kim Boi district, Hoa Binh province is home to nearly 1,260 households with a population of over 5,700 people, 98% of whom are of the Muong ethnic group. Besides economic development, the commune places special emphasis on preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Muong people.