(HBO) – We visited the family of Bui Thi Su in Ai hamlet, Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province on a day when they were serving a group of 26 French tourists. The visitors came here from Hanoi and had lunch at Su’s house. As scheduled, they would visit Mai Chau after lunch and leave for Thanh Hoa province. Su cooked tofu with tomato sauce and wrapped betel leaves with pork for the guests while her daughter cleaned the house.
Ms. Bui Thi Su is preparing food for tourists.
Su said "Some foreign tourists just like simple
food such as roasted meat, tofu, stir-fried and boiled vegetables. Only few
want to taste traditional dishes of Muong ethnic people. In the past, when Ai
hamlet had not planned to build a community-based tourism village, my family
worked on a farm. The whole family earned a living through rice and crop cultivation
and forestry. In free time, we had to do other jobs to increase income. Thanks
to the State support, my family borrowed loans to upgrade our house, rearrange
cages for buffalos, cows and pigs, and build a toilet”.
Currently, on average, each month, Su’s family
welcomes 5-10 tourist groups. Apart from collecting 160,000 VND from each guest
who stays in her house one day with breakfast and dinner, her family also earns
money from raising cattle and growing vegetables. Excluding expenses, her
family rakes in 4-5 million VND each month. In days without guests, Su and her
spouse could do farming to improve their living.
Ai hamlet has 94 households with over 400
people. In 2016, it was recognised as a community tourism destination with over
50 traditional stilt houses in Muong ancient village.
At present, there are two households in the
hamlet doing community-based tourism. The hamlet could provide a wide range of
services for around 40 foreign tourists or 70 domestic ones such as joining art
performances, learning cooking, experiencing the daily life of locals, fishing,
growing rice, gardening, walking, and cycling./.
Through ups and downs, many unique cultural features of the Muong ethnic minority group are facing risks of falling into oblivion. However, with a strong determination, Lac Son district of Hoa Binh province has deployed synchronous solutions to preserve and promote the locality's cultural heritage values.
If Tan Lac is considered the core of the cradle of Muong culture in Hoa Binh, Phong Phu commune is the cultural centre of Muong culture in Tan Lac district. Luy Ai hamlet in Phong Phu commune is where customs and traditions of Muong Bi are preserved. Luy Ai hamlet was chosen to build a space to preserve Muong ethnic culture. The district is seeking support from the province and coordinating with relevant agencies to devise a plan on preservation of Muong cultural spaces associated with developing tourism products and improving the lives of local residents.
Nguyen Manh Tuan, a Muong ethnic man in Ba Hang Doi town, Lac Thuy district, is known as a young, dedicated, and outstanding artisan who has made significant contributions in collecting, restoring, and preserving national cultural values.
The Government Office with Document No. 2082/VPCP-KGVX, dated March 29, 2024, sent out the opinion of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha regarding the submission of the "Mo Muong" and "Cheo art" dossiers to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In the evening of March 28th, in Hoa Binh, the Department of Grassroots Culture (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) coordinated with the provincial Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the city to organize a mobile propaganda contest to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7th, 1954 - May 7th, 2024) with the theme "Returning to Dien Bien”. There ứa the attendance of Mr. Nguyen Van Toan, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; the representatives of the leaders from a number of departments, branches and numerous veterans and Hoa Binh people.
