Preserving the cultural identity of the Mong ethnic group in Ta Xi Lang

In recent years, with the attention of the Party and State and the determination of local authorities, Ta Xi Lang commune has been implementing many solutions to preserve traditional culture, creating momentum for tourism development and local economy.

As we climbed the steep slope, our car slowed down between the bumpy hairpin bends, looping around and around as if there was no end. The road to Ta Xi Lang was like a thread across the mountainside, appearing and disappearing among the layers of white clouds. The higher we went, the thinner and colder the air became. In the midst of that vast landscape, Ta Xi Lang appeared peacefully at an altitude of more than 1,300 m above sea level.

The road to Ta Dang village is bumpy and rocky, often subject to landslides due to natural disasters.

Near the commune headquarters, our car had not yet stopped when enthusiastic greetings rang out from the roadside. Comrade Tran Dinh Trong - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Commune Party Committee and several local youths had been waiting early.

The Deputy Secretary of the Commune Party Committee shook hands firmly and said: Today we have guests coming to the village, the villagers are very happy. The village car is ready, let's go, it's not late, the distance is short but it rained last night so it will take a long time.

Indeed, the distance from the commune center to Ta Dang village is only over 7 km but enough to challenge anyone who sets foot on this land for the first time. The dirt road is narrow and slippery after the rain. The old motorbike slowly "crawls" over the steep slope, the wheels sliding on the thick mud. Every time the motorbike falls into a pothole, several young men quickly jump down, some pushing, some placing stones.

At a high bend, taking advantage of the time waiting for the excavator to level the land that had just been eroded, comrade Tran Dinh Trong pointed to the distance, his voice full of pride: That is Ta Dang village, people live in the mountains and forests, the economy is still difficult but the way of life and customs are still preserved. That is a priceless asset - the foundation for the commune to orient tourism development associated with preserving national culture.

Leaders of Ta Xi Lang commune visited and encouraged prestigious Mong people in the commune.

According to the introduction of the Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, since the operation of the two-level local government, the new apparatus has operated more synchronously and decisively in each development orientation.

The Party Committee of the commune has identified three important breakthroughs, focusing on training and fostering young cadres and building a local team with good understanding of the locality as the first step. Economic and tourism development associated with cultural preservation is a long-term direction and attracting investment resources for infrastructure; especially transportation, electricity grid, telephone signal, and internet are basic conditions for expanding trade and connecting the highlands with the outside. Ta Xi Lang has 98% of the population being Mong. Each house, flute melody, flared skirt, song... creates a unique appeal that few places have.

Preserving identity in the midst of modern life is preserving the soul, keeping Ta Xi Lang moving towards the future without losing itself.

The excavator finished leveling, our vehicle continued to "crawl" over the last slope leading down to Ta Dang. The deeper we went, the more poetic the scenery became. At the top of the sky, the Mong ethnic cultural identity is still preserved from the wooden roofs, the sound of the panpipe, the singing, to the costumes, cuisine , and lifestyle. Recognizing that endogenous resource, the Ta Xi Lang commune government chose this place as a model for developing exemplary community tourism.

It is only mid-October, but in Ta Dang, peach and plum blossoms are already blooming early to decorate the place. Under the mossy wooden porch, Mong women sit on linen carts, dyeing indigo and painting with beeswax. The smell of kitchen smoke and indigo blend together to warm the entire dirt yard.

Moss-covered wooden roofs and early-blooming plum blossoms add to the brilliant beauty of Ta Dang.

The Ta Dang Village Mong Ethnic Culture and Costume Preservation Club was established by the Ta Xi Lang Commune Women's Union in early 2024, with 12 members, aged from 15 to 60, to restore linen weaving, indigo dyeing, beeswax painting techniques and teach the younger generation to love and be more proud of ethnic costumes.

Ms. Sung Thi Co - Head of the Mong ethnic culture and costume preservation club in Ta Dang village, meticulously embroidering each stitch on the skirt on the porch, happily chatting: In the past, in the village, everyone knew how to weave and draw with beeswax. But then the young generation went to school far away, went to work far away, and there was a time when the village no longer heard the sound of weaving. Now that there is a club, we work, teach, and occasionally perform for tourists. Everyone is happy because the old profession is revived.

Members of the Mong Ethnic Culture and Costume Preservation Club in Ta Dang village embroider traditional brocade products together.

Comrade Ly Thi Xong - President of the Women's Union of Ta Xi Lang commune said: We determined that tourism development is not to trade identity but to let culture create the foundation for tourism. Every house, every lifestyle has value.

Visitors to Ta Xi Lang will not only enjoy the scenery but also live with the Mong people, listen to the sound of the flute, learn to weave linen, and cook traditional dishes.

Along with preserving the costumes and culture of the Mong ethnic group, the commune also aims to develop the native peach tree into a key economic tree in Ta Xi Lang. The peach trees here have long-lasting color, beautiful foliage, and are sought after by traders from many places during Tet. Therefore, the commune government actively promotes and mobilizes people to expand the area, combining with promoting peach blossom tourism, creating a unique mark for this land.

The Mong people of Ta Xi Lang commune retain many beautiful traditional cultural features.

Although only 2/5 villages have concrete roads to the village center, national electricity has not reached all villages, 5 residential clusters have no phone signal, natural disasters often cause landslides and isolation, the Ta Xi Lang people are still not discouraged.

In each wooden house, the light of the Party still shines on the hands of the Mong people diligently weaving linen; outside the fields, peach forests and corn fields are still green; children go to school fully, women have extra income from embroidery and weaving, commune cadres stay in the village, and together with the people discuss economic development and building model villages... These are the results of new ways of doing things, new thinking from the young cadres and the consensus of the people.

Traditional brocade products of Mong people in Ta Xi Lang commune are meticulously handcrafted.

Ta Xi Lang today is like a note in the symphony of innovation of the mountains and forests. The cultural identity of the Mong people here is both a heritage and a resource for Ta Xi Lang to rise up. Despite the difficulties, the Mong people of Ta Xi Lang still maintain their steadfast faith and hope in the Party's leadership, determined to firmly step on the journey of development and build a new life.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/gin-giu-ban-sac-van-hoa-dan-toc-mong-o-ta-xi-lang-post885049.html