Preserving Muong cultural identity and "Hoa Binh Culture"

The Khai Ha Festival of the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh province is held annually to contribute to preserving and promoting the fine cultural values ​​of the Muong ethnic group.

Muong ethnic culture has long been the soul of Hoa Binh province. From the sound of gongs resounding in the festivals of the four ancient Muong regions of Bi - Vang - Thang - Dong, the lyrical antiphonal songs to the wedding and funeral customs... all are imbued with the depth of history and community spirit.

The Muong people not only live with their culture, but also pass it down through each generation as a sacred asset, creating a unique feature that is difficult to confuse among hundreds of ethnic groups in Vietnam. Muong ethnic culture is a valuable treasure with a system of cultural heritages that have been recognized at the national level, including: Bamboo calendar folk knowledge, Khai Ha festival of the Muong ethnic group; Muong gong art and Muong mo. Currently, the Mo Muong cultural heritage is being submitted to UNESCO for recognition as a cultural heritage of humanity.

The Muong people live in harmony with nature, value affection, are rich in community solidarity and always promote "knowing superiors and knowing inferiors" - a philosophy of life clearly expressed in ritual life and traditional social structure. Not only the Muong people, but also the people of Hoa Binh province are proud of their rich local culture - a place where cultural elements of the Northwest converge but still have their own identity. It is these values ​​that make the name of Hoa Binh not only the name of an administrative unit, but also a symbol of peace, humanity and persistent development in difficulties...

As a place name, "Hoa Binh" is also a cultural symbol - the origin of the famous "Hoa Binh Culture" in Southeast Asian archaeology, associated with the Neolithic period (about 10,000 years ago). The term "Hoa Binh Culture" was officially recognized by archaeologists on January 30, 1932, proposed by Madeleine Colani at the Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians held in Hanoi. "Hoa Binh Culture" existed for about 30,000 - 3,500 years ago. "Hoa Binh Culture" has an important position in the Stone Age in Vietnam as well as in the world; it is an extremely valuable asset, contributing to the world important scientific documents, clarifying the prehistoric picture in Vietnam. Hoa Binh with its limestone mountain ranges has created many valleys with rich flora and fauna, so since prehistoric times, people have settled on Hoa Binh land, leaving behind the famous "Hoa Binh Culture". In 2024, the archaeological site of Hang Xom Trai and Mai Da Lang Vanh in Lac Son district was ranked as the first special national monument of Hoa Binh province.

It can be affirmed that the Muong cultural values ​​and the modern "Hoa Binh Culture" are the intersection between the indigenous Muong culture and the cultural streams of the Northwest and the Delta, creating a diverse cultural space but still imbued with identity. In recent times, Hoa Binh province has had many policies to effectively develop cultural careers. The highlight is the allocation of resources to implement the Project to Preserve and promote the cultural values ​​of the Muong ethnic group and the "Hoa Binh Culture" in the period of 2023 - 2030...

However, before the Party and State's major, revolutionary policy on merging the three provinces of Phu Tho , Vinh Phuc, and Hoa Binh into Phu Tho province, in the Report synthesizing voters' opinions of the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hoa Binh province on April 28, 2025, many voters expressed their thoughts, concerns, and worries. In particular, voters and people are worried that when the province is merged, the values ​​of "Hoa Binh Culture" and Muong ethnic identity will fade, not be preserved, maintained, and promoted if not given due attention.

These voices express the deep desire of authorities at all levels to consider the preservation and promotion of local culture as an inseparable part of the merger roadmap. The merger of Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc and Hoa Binh provinces is not simply a matter of rearranging the administrative map, but also a process that requires a balance between management efficiency and preserving the cultural soul. Preserving Muong culture and "Hoa Binh culture" in the context of merger is not an easy task, but if focused on and with a specific strategy, this will be an opportunity to widely promote Hoa Binh cultural values ​​to a wider scope, in line with the trend of the new era.

Huong Lan

Source: https://baohoabinh.com.vn/16/201143/Giu-gin-ban-sac-van-hoa-Muong-va-nen-Van-hoa-Hoa-Binh.htm