Preserving cultural heritage through community

Identifying the preservation of intangible cultural heritage is not only a task for management agencies but also a responsibility, a right, and a source of pride for...

The Mang ethnic people preserve their traditional weaving craft, contributing to the preservation of their ethnic heritage.

Among the 20 ethnic groups living in Lai Chau , the Ha Nhi people are one of the oldest communities residing in the Northwest border region, possessing a distinctive cultural identity. Throughout history, the Ha Nhi people have preserved a rich treasure of intangible cultural heritage, closely intertwined with their daily lives. Particularly noteworthy are their folk performing arts, including folk songs, dances, and traditional musical instruments. Many of these forms have been recognized as National Intangible Cultural Heritage, such as the Ha Nhi Xoe dance, the Xa Nha Ca performance, and the Phuy Ca Na Ca epic, contributing to raising awareness of preservation within the community.

However, these forms of cultural practice are now mainly seen in festivals, and are not frequently practiced in daily life, facing the risk of disappearing. Promoting the role of the community in heritage preservation is identified as a key solution. In villages inhabited by the Ha Nhi people, the practice of teaching within families and clans continues to be maintained. Mr. Chu Ma Xa (Pa Thang village, Thu Lum commune) shared: "In the community, the teaching of elders plays a very important role; it is the best way to preserve the ethnic cultural identity. When learned early and regularly exposed, descendants will remember longer and practice better. Therefore, the elders in the village always focus on teaching the younger generation everything from language, rituals, customs to traditional crafts through daily life."

Over the years, the province has paid attention to directing the management of intangible cultural heritage of ethnic minorities. On July 28, 2025, the Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 4112/KH-UBND on the inventory of intangible cultural heritage, creating a basis for the cultural sector to implement comprehensive solutions to protect and promote the value of heritage. Mr. Luu Hong Phuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: The Department has developed a plan assigning specialized units to conduct inventory, create dossiers, organize teaching and restoration; with particular emphasis on the responsibility of the community – the custodians of the heritage. Many models such as cultural clubs and classes teaching folk songs and dances have been maintained, contributing to bringing heritage back into life.

Currently, Lai Chau province has two intangible cultural heritage sites inscribed by UNESCO as representative heritage of humanity: the Then ritual of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people, and the Thai Xoe dance art. In addition, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has issued a decision to include 11 heritage sites in the national list of intangible cultural heritage, including: Thai Xoe dance art; tug-of-war of the Thai people; the Gau Tao festival of the Mong people (formerly Phong Tho district, now Dao San commune); the Nang Han festival (formerly Phong Tho district, now Phong Tho commune); the Then Kin Pang festival of the Thai people in Lai Chau province; folk knowledge about healing of the Dao people (formerly Phong Tho, Tam Duong, and Sin Ho districts); the Xoe dance art of the Ha Nhi people (formerly Muong Te, Nam Nhun, and Phong Tho districts); and the weaving craft of the Lu people (formerly Tam Duong and Sin Ho districts). The coming-of-age ceremony of the Dao Tuyen people (Phong Tho, Tam Duong, and former Sin Ho districts); the cuisine of the Thai people in Lai Chau province; the Xa Nha Ca performance of the Ha Nhi people (Mu Ca, Ka Lang, and Thu Lum communes, former Muong Te district).

The Phong Tho commune's performing arts team performed at the Nang Han Festival.

The transmission of knowledge within the community is also maintained through festivals and cultural activities. Every year, many cultural and artistic exchange programs organized by the Provincial People's Committee and local authorities recreate traditional rituals and restore the distinctive cultural spaces of ethnic groups, contributing to the preservation and development of heritage. Ms. Lo Me Tho (Nam Sao 1 village, Pa Tan commune) shared: "My grandmother and mother taught me how to sew traditional costumes and perform rituals in the weddings and funerals of the Mang ethnic group. Over time, I have grown to love and be proud of it, and I am continuing to pass it on to my children so that our traditional cultural identity can be preserved."

Practical experience shows that the preservation of intangible cultural heritage cannot be separated from the community – the source and nurturer of cultural values. For heritage to continue to be preserved and revived in modern life, people remain the central element. Therefore, focusing on promoting the role of the community – something that management agencies and localities in the province are prioritizing – is the most sustainable way to preserve the "soul" of national culture in the border regions of the country.

Source: https://baolaichau.vn/van-hoa/bao-ton-di-san-van-hoa-tu-cong-dong-774899