People's Artisan Bui Van Minh - Good people, good deeds

At the peaceful foot of Khu Khenh mountain in the old Van Son commune, now Thuong Coc commune, the sound of Muong gongs still echoes through each ripe rice season, as if reminding us of the cultural roots of a land. There, People's Artisan Bui Van Minh - the Mo teacher of the Muong village - is still diligently preserving each gong, each Mo line, each relic of his ancestors. To him, each artifact, each Mo word is not only a memory, but also a breath, a pride of the nation in the flow of time. The impression of him is his calm appearance, slow, warm voice - like the qualities of a "good person, doing good deeds". Because his whole life is a quiet but persistent journey to find, preserve and pass on the soul of Muong culture to the future.

Artisan Bui Van Minh guides his descendants on how to read the Khao Roi calendar.

More than half a lifetime searching for memories of Muong land

Born in 1970, when he was only 15 years old, Mr. Minh began to passionately collect ancient artifacts of the Muong people. Even though he was poor at that time, he still saved every penny to exchange for a bronze pot, an ancient sword or a piece of traditional woven fabric. "I traveled to the four Muong Bi, Vang, Thang, Dong of ancient Hoa Binh , just hoping to collect the fragments of memories that were covered with dust by time" - Mr. Minh said.

Shaman Bui Van Minh performs the New Rice ritual at the Hillside Terraced Field Festival

After nearly 40 years of perseverance, his ancient stilt house now preserves nearly 1,000 precious artifacts, from stoneware, bronze pots, bronze basins, knives, swords... to Muong gong sets, Khao Roi calendar - a unique heritage associated with Muong folk knowledge. Many of these artifacts are considered "unique": The kettle of Mrs. Ha Thi Teo - Muong beauty queen, adopted daughter of Chanh quan lang Quach Vi; the sword of King Khai Dinh; a set of 40 Muong gongs from the Tran Dynasty; a glowing stone; a shaman's outfit over 150 years old; Khot bags from many generations of shamans; even fossilized rice grains found in Trai cave - traces of prehistoric people in Muong Vang region.

“These artifacts not only have material value but also contain the soul of Muong culture. Each object tells a story - about people, beliefs, and how Muong people live and behave with nature,” said Mr. Minh, his eyes sparkling with pride.

The Shaman in Modern Times

Along with his passion for collecting antiques, Mr. Minh is also the successor of the profession of Mo shaman - a typical intangible heritage of the Muong people. From his father, he understands that "Mo is not just a song, but the soul of Muong culture".

He is the founder of the Mo Muong Club of Lac Son district (old), which gathers nearly 50 dedicated artisans. There, he not only practices rituals, but also devotes himself to teaching the younger generation: How to read mo, understand mo, and live with mo. He and his members regularly collect, systematize ancient mo songs, exchange, practice and perform at cultural events and traditional festivals.

The gentlemen Minh collected in Khot's bag.

For him, Mo Muong is “the thread connecting today’s people with their ancient roots”. Therefore, every time he steps onto the floor to sing Mo, he is careful and serious as if he were performing a sacred ritual. Thanks to that diligence, in 2022, he was awarded the title of People’s Artisan by the President , becoming the first person from Hoa Binh province (old) to be honored in the category of Social Customs and Beliefs.

The keeper of the Muong soul

In the ancient stilt house that he has just restored in the large communal space of the old Van Son commune, every corner exudes the breath of traditional Muong culture - from the kitchen upstairs, the rice mill, to the simple labor tools. Recently, he and his family held a kitchen-building ceremony according to the ancient Muong ritual - a sacred ritual that shows the connection between people and the land, with fire, and with ancestors. He shared: "This house will not only be a place for the family to live, but also a space for community cultural activities - where the Mo Muong Club and those who love Muong culture can come to exchange, feel and learn".

Mr. Minh keeps ancient gongs in the space of the ancient stilt house.

Not only passionate about heritage, People's Artisan Bui Van Minh also actively educates the younger generation about traditional culture. He often participates in school activities, talks to students about Muong culture, guides performances of costumes, folk songs, traditional musical instruments, introduces the Khao Roi calendar, and spell songs... He believes: "Preserving identity is not just about displaying artifacts, but also about sowing cultural seeds in the hearts of children - so that they are proud, know how to select, and preserve the beauty of their nation in the midst of modernity".

With nearly 40 years of dedication to collecting, preserving and teaching Muong cultural heritage, People's Artisan Bui Van Minh is the pride of the Muong land. He is not only a "living treasure" of heritage, but also a person who ignites the cultural fire, contributing to realizing the spirit of Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW of the 11th Party Central Committee on building and developing Vietnamese culture and people in the new era.

At the Provincial Patriotic Emulation Congress, Mr. Bui Van Minh was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Provincial People's Committee.

Amidst the modern pace of life, the good teacher, choosing a good day, doing good deeds - Bui Van Minh still quietly preserves the "Muong soul" every day in every mo verse, every gong beat, every firelight of his hometown as a beautiful symbol of love for his homeland and the immortal vitality of national culture.

Hong Duyen

Source: https://baophutho.vn/nghe-nhan-nhan-dan-bui-van-minh-nguoi-lanh-lam-viec-lanh-241307.htm