Haunted by the thought, "How can we promote the cultural identity of our ethnic group?", Ms. Ngoc was determined to restore, spread, and promote the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group in the area.
"If you want to build a big house, you need a strong foundation."
Driven by pride in her ethnic cultural heritage, Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc (Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Tien Xuan Commune) has proactively worked with officials and members of the Union to organize and promote various forms of propaganda and mobilization among officials, members, and the people to preserve, protect, and promote the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group, especially their traditional costumes, in Tien Xuan Commune.
"Since 2018, I've been nurturing the idea of reviving the Muong ethnic culture. At that time, women in Tien Xuan rarely wore traditional Muong costumes at events and festivals... But I, when attending conferences at the village, commune, and higher levels, and at major events, always wore traditional Muong costumes," shared Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc.
With the mindset that "to build a big house, you need a solid foundation," Ms. Ngoc initially actively wore traditional Muong ethnic costumes, gradually spreading this cultural aspect and encouraging other members to wear them as well. By 2020, the Women's Union of Tien Xuan commune boldly registered and received support from the Party Committee, government, organizations, associations, and people of the commune to implement the "Model of effective mass mobilization in preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group in Tien Xuan commune."
Ms. Ngoc affirmed: Through generations, the traditional clothing of Muong ethnic women has been passed down to this day. The outfit, with its tight-fitting black skirt, patterned waistband revealing the chest, short blouse and bodice worn underneath, belt and sash, sparkling necklace, and white headscarf, possesses a unique character through its tailoring and decorative colors, making the already beautiful Muong women even more radiant, like newly bloomed wildflowers welcoming spring.
A distinctive feature of the Muong ethnic women's dress is its form-fitting design, reaching just below the waist to showcase the natural beauty of the woman. The waistband is the most beautiful and important symbol in the traditional decorative art of the Muong people, with rich decorative patterns that demonstrate the skill, sophistication, and creativity of the women. The upper part of the waistband, called the upper ram, features various intricate and exquisite patterns, not limited to pre-existing designs, mainly embroidered with dragon and phoenix motifs and influenced by the Dong Son bronze drum culture. The lower part, called the lower ram, is separated from the upper ram by parallel lines and zigzag patterns of blue, purple, black, and red threads interwoven horizontally across the skirt. The lower part of the waistband, called the high, mainly features colored stripes connecting the body with harmonious color patterns. Combined with the skirt, blouse, white headscarf, silver necklace, and bracelet, the silver sash set is an indispensable part of the traditional Muong ethnic women's costume.
The beauty and grace of the traditional Muong ethnic women's clothing have truly captivated the women of Tien Xuan commune. To date, nearly 100% of the female cadres and members of Tien Xuan commune own Muong ethnic clothing, which they wear on anniversaries, holidays, conferences, Tet (Lunar New Year), weddings, etc.
Ms. Quách Thị Luyến, a member of the Women's Association in Hamlet 6, shared: "Thanks to Ms. Ngọc and the Association's officials for their propaganda and mobilization efforts, the women members in the hamlet and many older women in the commune have come to understand more about the meaning and charm of wearing traditional Mường ethnic women's clothing. Now, almost all of us women have at least one set, which we wear on holidays, festivals, weddings, conferences, and cultural performances... and we feel proud because the clothing makes us look more beautiful and graceful..."
Extending the Muong cultural festival days.
In early 2023, Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc continued to develop the program for the Muong ethnic group's cultural and culinary festival in Tien Xuan commune, aiming to promote the unity of women's association members, organizations, and the people. The festival included folk games such as throwing the ball, tug-of-war, and archery; a performance of Muong ethnic women's costumes; and a unique cultural and artistic exchange. Particularly noteworthy was the mass performance of the "Gong Song," a Muong gong ensemble, and a dance of unity, with the participation of over 300 women's association members from villages and schools in the commune.
One highlight of the competition, and one that attracted particular attention from locals and tourists, was the Muong ethnic group's cultural and culinary booth competition. Eight teams from villages and schools participated, each bringing between 30 and 70 unique dishes, showcasing little-known items unique to the Muong people, or seasonal specialties such as stink bugs, forest grasshoppers, roasted crickets, roasted cicadas with betel leaves, forest ant egg patties, roasted crab with betel leaves, and wild vegetables.
According to Nguyen Van Nghia, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tien Xuan commune: "The 2023 Tien Xuan Commune Muong Ethnic Culture and Food Festival was more successful than expected, attracting over 5,000 people from within and outside the locality. People hope the festival will continue to be held annually. Therefore, the Tien Xuan Commune Muong Ethnic Culture Festival program has been included in the resolution of the commune's People's Representatives Conference, setting the date for the festival on the 17th and 18th of January each year. The number of participants in the "Gong Song" dance and song performance, Muong gong ensemble, and unity dance at the festival in 2024-2025 is expected to reach 500 people."
Mr. Nghia added: The Muong ethnic culture and food festival in Tien Xuan commune not only creates a joyful and exciting atmosphere in the early days of the new spring, but also awakens, preserves, and promotes the beautiful cultural aspects of life, cuisine, and identity of the ethnic group, while introducing characteristic products and agricultural produce of Tien Xuan commune to the community and tourists from all over.
"The model of effective mass mobilization in preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group in Tien Xuan commune" by the Tien Xuan Commune Women's Union has been compiled in the book "Effective Mass Mobilization in Cultural Development, Building Elegant and Civilized Hanoi Citizens" of the City.
In particular, the 2025 Muong Ethnic Culture and Cuisine Festival in Tien Xuan commune will be further innovated by Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc and the Women's Union of the commune to revive and preserve the unique cultural features and identity of the Muong ethnic group that have existed since ancient times, such as a spectacular reenactment of a Muong ethnic wedding ceremony...
Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc shared: "The song 'The Sound of the Gong' contains the line 'a tree with strong roots will sprout countless green branches,' which has become the motivation for me to determinedly spread the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group in the community."
Currently, Tien Xuan commune has 7 gong clubs in 7 villages, with a total of 300 members. Each village has 2-4 sets of Muong gongs. The gong clubs in Tien Xuan regularly practice and participate in performances at festivals and conferences organized by the village and commune, presenting a variety of rich and distinctive ethnic performances.
The efforts of Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc and the Women's Union of Tien Xuan commune have been actively contributing to raising awareness and responsibility, creating a strong transformation among each official, member, and citizen in the commune in effectively implementing the work of preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/lan-toa-net-dep-van-hoa-muong-700597.html
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