The Thanh Minh (grave-visiting) festival, which falls on the third day of the third lunar month, is one of the most important festivals of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups as it is a celebration to remember the credits of parents, ancestors and the dead.
Families preparing trays of offerings for ancestors at Thanh Minh festival
In the Tay and
Nung people’s belief, Thanh Minh festival is a time for family reunion, no
matter where they are living or working far from hometown, they always return
home ahead of the festival to join their other family members on the occasion.
One day ahead of the festival, each family
prepares a tray of offerings, the more number of households the family has, the
more abundant their offerings will be.
In the northern province of Cao Bang, from early
in the morning of the opening day, people flock to the hillsides and mountain
sides, where the graveyard and cemeteries are located, carrying their
offerings, such as boiled chicken, pork, fruits, votive papers, eggs, wine, and
coloured sticky rice, including the two indispensable colours of black and red.
The colours of the sticky rice are made from
leaves grown in the locales’ gardens. Not only producing natural and
eye-catching colours, the leaves also bring a distinctive aroma to the dish.
As a celebration to pay tribute to the dead, the
villagers also clean up and burn incense for unmarked graves during the
festival.
After the visiting ritual, the family members
gather together to enjoy the offerings and hold exchanges with other families.
The festival is also observed among Tay and Nung
ethnic communities in Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, and other South-eastern
provinces, during which worshippers prepare ‘may nhuong’ (steamed bamboo
shoots filled with minced pork) as an essential offering for their ancestors.
Source: NDO
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.
In responding to the movement of "All people stay united to build cultural lifestyle”, over the years, Kim Boi district has conducted many practical and effective activities to promote solidarity and mutual support among the local community in sustainable poverty reduction and building cultural lifestyle and a healthy cultural environment, and maintaining national cultural identity.
