(HBO) – Hang Kia-Pa Co communes in Mai Chau district have 90 percent of their population being Mong ethnic minority people. Each year, local residents celebrate their Independence Festival from August 25 with colourful costumes and flowers decorated along streets. However, this year, due to COVID-19 pandemic, Mong people in Mai Chau have not gathered in traditional markets but celebrated the special event right at home. Amid the complicated development of the pandemic, they have been encouraged to enjoy the festival with strict implementation of pandemic prevention and control measures.
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Visitors are enjoying
Independence Festival in a Mong village in Hang Kia commune (Mai Chau).
Sung A Mang, a local in Pa Co Lon hamlet of Pa Co commune said that every year
on the National Day (September 2) occasion and major events of the year, local
families often kill pigs, buffaloes and chickens to offer to their ancestors.
Prior to the main festival day, people in hamlets and villages opened joint
parties by contributing chickens, pigs, rice andenjoyed the festival
together.
However, this year, due to COVID-19, the festive atmosphere
is not the same as the previous years with massive gatherings being cancelled.
But still, Mong people are still enjoying their traditional festival with
simple but cozy family meals, while maintaining their regular production
activities.
Sung A Chua, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Pa Co said that this
year, the Independence Festival does not include entertainment and festive
activities. However, through communications, all local residents understand
that to protect the health of themselves, their families and the community,
they should join hands to prevent the pandemic from entering the locality and
maintain socio-economic development.
Currently, per capita income of Hang Kia and Pa Co has reached 13 million VND
and 15 million VND each year, respectively. As of the end of June 2021, the
ratio of poor households was brought down to 24.7 percent in Hang Kia and 22.5
percent in Pa Co. Both communes have completed 13 out of 19 criteria of a
new-style rural area. Cultural and education infrastructure in the localities
have been improved to meet new-style rural area standards, while
defence-security situation has been ensured, with reinforced political
system./.
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.
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