Kha Cuu preserves the beauty of Muong culture

Kha Cuu commune, Thanh Son district, has 86% of the population being Muong ethnic people. Along with language, costumes, cuisine, labor tools..., folk performing arts and other unique cultural values have created a unique cultural identity. The tangible and intangible cultural heritages of the Muong people here have been and are being preserved, promoting their values in life and passing them on to future generations.

Muong people participate in gong performances in traditional stilt houses.

Along with the unique cultural features preserved through many generations, at the same time, well implementing the Project “Inventory, collection, preservation, and promotion of Muong ethnic cultural identity in the period of 2017-2020, orientation to 2025”; Project “Continuing the work of preserving and promoting the cultural values of Muong and other ethnic minorities in Thanh Son district in the period of 2021-2025,” many household items and labor tools of Muong people in Kha Cuu have been collected and preserved. In addition, Muong ethnic cultural clubs have also been established and operated effectively, contributing significantly to preserving and promoting the national cultural identity. Ms. Dinh Thi Thanh Ha, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and Vice Chairman of the Muong ethnic cultural club of Kha Cuu commune, shared: Currently, the commune has 15 Muong and other ethnic cultural clubs with more than 200 members, including 14 clubs of residential areas. Members of the Muong ethnic cultural clubs are active factors in mobilizing people to preserve the national cultural identity. The Muong ethnic cultural clubs in the commune are operating effectively, contributing to preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group while creating a highlight for Kha Cuu to attract tourists.

Looms in the Muong cultural space in Chuoi village

Not only taking care of developing the family economy, the people of Kha Cuu also pay attention to preserving traditional cultural beauty, including: preserving daily living utensils such as baskets, trays, sticky rice pots, rice pounding mortars, upland rice harvesting tools... In particular, the cuisine of the Muong people in general, the Muong people in Kha Cuu in particular, is very diverse and rich, known by many people as five-color sticky rice, bamboo shoots, steamed vegetables, and grilled stream fish, and still retains its own unique flavor and features.

In many residential areas, the Duong is still preserved-this is an ancient household item the Muong people used to pound upland rice. Nowadays, Duong has been transformed into a traditional musical instrument, used in people’s daily lives, especially on holidays, Tet, or important events in the village, every time there is a festival.

A five-color sticky rice dish is created by the skillful hands of Muong women Kha Cuu.

In 2023, a traditional stilt house of the Muong people was built at the People’s Committee of the commune, funded by the state and contributed by the people in the commune. Gongs, duongs, and many traditional items are brought to preserve and display in this traditional stilt house. Next to the stilt house, members of the Muong Ethnic Culture Club often perform vi singing, gong playing, dam duong, touch ong... on holidays, Tet...

Thanh Son district is focusing on developing a community tourism model in Kha Cuu commune associated with preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group. The image of the highland village with water wheels and traditional stilt houses associated with the cultural space of the Muong ethnic group in households in Kha Cuu is an advantage for the district to choose to invest in building a community tourism model. The beauty of Muong culture in Kha Cuu has attracted many tourists to visit, experience, and learn.

In particular, the stilt houses, water wheels, or kitchens with sunlight shining through bamboo walls and Muong women preparing five-color sticky rice have attracted many photographers from all over the country and hundreds of photographers from India, Japan, Canada, Korea... to record images preserving the beauty of Muong culture in Kha Cuu, contributing to promoting Thanh Son tourism and at the same time motivating Kha Cuu people to love and preserve Muong cultural identity together, multiplying unique values in developing community tourism.

Phuong Thanh