(HBO) - Lac Son is one of the four largest Muong ethnic minority districts in the province. The Muong ethnic population accounts for over 90% of the district population. Lac Son people are always aware of preserving and developing their ethnic cultural identity. Over the years, each stilt house has been preserved, Muong gongs and Muong Mo rhythm have been preserved. On holidays, from old to young women are dressed in traditional costumes.
The traditional festivals are restored and
preserved, such as the procession of The Buddha of Khu Dung Cave (Nhan Nghia
commune); Du Voi Festival (Lien Vu commune); Rock village roof festival (Yen
Phu commune), etc. Besides, the district also takes care of restoration of
revolutionary relics.
(photo: The art performance team of Mu
village, Tu Do commune practice regularly for holidays, Tet occasions).
Lac Son is one of the districts having the
most preserved stilt houses in the province. The District People's Committee mobilized
the people to preserve the traditional stilt houses and build a
concrete-floored stilt houses to protect the forest resources. At present, the
district has 18,640 houses on stilts, of which, wooden and bamboo stilt houses
accounts for 13,972 houses and stilts with concrete frame, wooden or bamboo
floors are 1,892 houses; total 2,776 houses of concrete stilt houses.
In addition, the district focuses on
preserving the unique values of Mo Muong rhythms. The District People's
Committee coordinates with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to
study and propose scientific dossiers of the Khot series of Muong ethnic
artists. The district has 50 Mo Muong artists, of which 2 study Mo Muong, Mr.
Bui Van Minh (Van Son commune) and Mr. Bui Huy Vong (Huong Nhuong commune). The
District People's Committee develops mechanisms and policies to preserve the
values of Mo Muong heritage and promote the propaganda and publicity of Mo
Muong cultural heritage.
On the holidays, Tet occasions, the
harvesting seasons, the gong echo resounds in each village. The district holds
over 3,000 gongs in all kinds. The old people teach the young people, the later
generations learn from the previous generation, so the gong is echoed
throughout the mountains. In many communes such as Nhan Nghia, An Nghia, Tan
Lap, 100% villages have gongs teams. Specialists and amateurs are present
everywhere from the village festival to the big festival of the district, the
province. The artisans have contributed significantly to raising awareness
about the value of traditional cultural heritage in the community and creating
their own culture identity for Lac Son land and people. People of communes and
towns also preserve many traditional and unique cultural characteristics of the
ethnic minority in music through Vi singing, common singing, etc.
Xoe dance, an unique art form of the Thai ethnic minority group in Mai Chau district of Hoa Binh province has existed for a long time and passed down through generations. Xoe dance is not only a popular dance in the Thai community but also a unique cultural feature, an indispensable part in the Thai ethnic minority people's cultural and spiritual life.
The Bac Son pre-school in Hung Son commune, Kim Boi district is effectively implementing a model of preserving and promoting cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group.
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).
