The diverse culture of Dien Bien

Young people of the Thai ethnic group practice the Unity Dance.

Recognizing the potential and economic benefits that traditional ethnic culture brings, many tourism businesses in the province have exploited the advantages of the locality, enriching themselves and society. They create spaces full of ethnic cultural colors to introduce to friends inside and outside the province and international visitors. Traditional art forms of ethnic minorities, especially the Thai ethnic group, have been incorporated into tourist areas and attractions such as: traditional dances and songs, Xoe dance, Sap dance, and throwing the ball... The culinary essence of the Thai people has also been elevated with distinctive dishes such as: sticky rice from mountain fields, grilled fish (pa pỉnh tộp); grilled skewers; laap (a type of sausage); smoked meat... to serve tourists.

In line with the policy of linking tourism development with the preservation of ethnic cultures, Dien Bien has focused on promoting awareness among ethnic communities to maintain or restore the existing landscapes, architecture, caves, and traditional costumes, creating a cultural space rich in identity and attracting tourists from near and far.

In recent years, the Dien Bien Department of Culture has been actively promoting the collection, restoration, and preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, as well as the unique customs and traditions of ethnic minorities, such as their languages, writing systems, folk songs, folk dances, musical instruments, traditional costumes, and festivals. This aims to further enhance the attractiveness of Dien Bien tourism to visitors by promoting the distinctive traditional cultural features of the province's ethnic communities.

Alongside the development of cultural tourism products, cultural preservation is also essential and highly valued by the province. Despite numerous challenges, Dien Bien province has prioritized the implementation of many cultural preservation projects in ethnic minority areas. Typical examples include: the investigation, research, and preservation of the traditions of the Thai ethnic group (Black Thai branch) in Che Can village, Muong Phang commune, Dien Bien Phu city; the "Rain Prayer" festival of the Kho Mu ethnic group, the "New Rice Celebration" of the Xinh Mun ethnic group in Chieng So commune, Dien Bien Dong district; and the "Ga Ma Thu" ceremony of the Ha Nhi ethnic group in Sin Thau commune, Muong Nha district. Many other activities have also been implemented, such as: training and capacity building for cultural officials in particularly disadvantaged communes; coordinating the development of grassroots culture, providing equipment and resources for activities in particularly disadvantaged communes, villages, and hamlets. Providing training and resources for mobile film screening teams serving ethnic minorities and mountainous regions; developing mass cultural and artistic movements...

To effectively preserve historical relics and promote traditional cultural values, in addition to specific policy and mechanism solutions, Dien Bien province needs to allocate more funds to support artisans in preserving and passing on ethnic culture to the next generation. On the one hand, it is necessary to effectively address the relationship between preserving and promoting traditional cultural values in line with socio-economic development goals; and to build a team of cultural officials with the capacity and knowledge of folk songs, folk music, and folk dances. Along with this, a more active involvement from the entire political system, society as a whole, and local communities is needed...

It can be affirmed that it is thanks to the system of special national-level historical sites of the Dien Bien Phu Battlefield, along with the magnificent natural landscape and the unique and diverse traditional culture of 19 ethnic groups, that Dien Bien has created its own unique charm, making it an attractive historical, cultural, and tourist destination both domestically and internationally.

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