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).
Mo master Shaman Bui Van Rum from Rom Co hamlet, Thuong Coc commune, Lac Son district, introduces a set of items used for rituals.
Specifically, along with the "Cheo art", considering the proposal of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST), the assessment opinion of the National Cultural Heritage Council on requesting permission and submitting the national dossier "Mo Muong" for consideration and registration on UNESCO's Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Deputy PM Ha expressed the following opinion:
Agree to submit to UNESCO for consideration and inclusion of the "Mo Muong" intangible cultural heritage, covering the provinces of Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, Son La, and Dak Lak, and Hanoi city, into the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding; authorise the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to sign the documents as required.
The Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO will preside over and coordinate with the MoCST to carry out necessary procedures to submit heritage dossiers to UNESCO, ensuring compliance with the provisions of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and cultural heritage laws.
Mo Muong is a folk performance activity expressed in rituals associated with the spiritual life of the Muong people. The space for performing ritual activities and the mo chants takes place in community life and within each family organising a ceremony. The practitioners of Mo Muong are Mo masters who speak, recite, and sing mo chants during rituals. Mo Muong comprises many mo chants and sections used in specific ceremonies.
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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