Preserving and Promoting the Language and Script of the Muong Ethnic Group

The preservation, promotion of the linguistic and scriptural heritage of the Muong people, formerly in Hoa Binh province, now belonging to Phu Tho province is not only a responsibility, but also a source of pride for every people of the Muong homeland.

Hoa Binh College of Education opens Muong language training classes for officials in 2025.

In the past, the Muong people did not have their own writing system; their rich folklore was preserved mainly through oral tradition. The Muong people use a language with a distinct identity. Muong is a tonal language closely related to Vietnamese, belonging to the Viet–Muong subgroup of the Mon–Khmer branch within the Austroasiatic language family. Today, the Muong community still actively uses the Muong language in daily life and communication.

On September 8, 2016, the Hoa Binh Provincial People’s Committee issued Decision No. 2295/QĐ-UBND approving the Muong script of Hoa Binh province. The purpose was to introduce the script into everyday life, contributing to the preservation and promotion of Muong cultural values. Educational materials were compiled, including “Guide to Teaching the Muong Language and Script,” “Basic Muong Language,” and “Reading and Understanding Muong Language.”

Contents from a Muong language training manual.

In 2019, the province launched the Project on Teaching and Learning the Muong Language for the 2018–2025 period, with a vision toward 2030. The Department of Education and Training was assigned to lead the initiative, and Hoa Binh College of Education was tasked with direct implementation. The aim was to train teachers of the Muong language, provide training courses for officials and armed forces, and gradually expand the use of the Muong language in daily life.

According to Nguyen Thi Le Huong, Principal of Hoa Binh College of Education: Since the project was implemented, the college has trained and provided Muong language instruction to teachers and awarded certificates to learners after final examinations. In 2023, the college continued training 120 provincial-level officials and 150 soldiers of the armed forces. In 2024, the college completed training and certification for 120 provincial-level officials and 456 district-level learners. From March 2025, the college has been implementing training courses for 421 learners who are officials from various sectors and armed forces units.

These Muong language classes have instilled a sense of ethnic pride and a love for homeland culture among learners.

Today, with the administrative restructuring that merged the provinces of Hoa Binh, Phu Tho, and Vinh Phuc into the new Phu Tho province, the Muong community—once concentrated in Hoa Binh has expanded. This presents an opportunity for the Muong language to reach further, becoming a bridge of cultural connection.

With the support of the province, the collective efforts of the community, and the pride of every Muong individual, there is hope that the Muong language will continue to spread throughout localities, enriching the lives of today and future generations.

Huong Lan