The People's Committee of Lo Son commune, Tan Lac district, has organised the local annual traditional stream fishing festival on April 19 - 20.
A vibrant musical performance opens the festival.
Crowds gather to take part in the festive celebration.
A "thay Mo” (spiritual master) performs traditional chants honouring local tutelary deities.
A raft-launching ceremony to mark the festival’s opening.
Locals join in the traditional group stream-fishing activity in Khoang Lo stream.
Local cuisine and specialty products showcased at the festival’s market stalls.
An expanded men’s volleyball tournament at the event.
The Lo Son traditional stream fishing festival takes place annually on the third lunar month. A folk festival closely associated with wet rice agriculture and bearing the imprint of ancient Vietnamese civilisation, it forms an indispensable part of the local Muong Tlo ethnic community’s culture and belief.
Known locally as the "stream fishing” or "rice weeding festival,” it marks the period after the rice has been sown and strengthened, and villagers gather to take part in communal fishing in local streams such as Khoang Bo, Khoang Lo, Khoang Tlo and Khoang Ich. Large fish caught during the event are presented as offerings, symbolising prayers for favourable weather, abundant harvests, and communal well-being.
The ceremonial segment featured traditional rituals, vibrant performances, Mo chanting, and a raft-lowering ritual to kick off the festive event. The celebratory portion of the festival was marked by a host of engaging activities, including bamboo raft races, net-casting competitions, collective stream fishing at Khoang Lo, a display of local cuisine and products, and an open men’s volleyball tournament.
This year’s festival was larger in scale, with more cultural performances, folk games, and sporting events reflecting the rich heritage of the Muong people. It serves as a platform for cultural preservation and promotion, while helping raise public awareness of protecting the water environment and aquatic ecosystems.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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