Promoting the Cultural Identity of the Muong Ethnic Group

Maintaining the organization of traditional festivals; establishing clubs and folk art troupes; and developing community-based tourism to create sustainable livelihoods are practical actions aimed at preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group in Ngoc Sơn commune.

The Club for Preserving and Promoting Muong Cultural Identity of Ngoc Son Commune exchanges Dum singing with other clubs within the festival space of Bang Communal House.

After administrative unit reorganization, the highland commune of Ngoc Son has a population of over 9,000 people, with many brotherly ethnic groups living together, of which the Muong ethnic group accounts for 98%. This place is known for a culture deeply imbued with ethnic identity, featuring many long-standing customs and practices passed down through generations, such as: Mo Muong (shamanic chanting), Thuong Rang - Bo Meng folk singing, and Muong gong performance.

Along with a long history, prominent cultural values of the Muong ethnic group are preserved by the Muong community: the Bang Communal House Festival; the Khai Ha (opening of the fields) festival at the Tutelary God Temple of Boi hamlet; as well as their spoken language, traditional costumes, cuisine, and folk arts. The rich system of historical-cultural relics, beliefs, and scenic landscapes provides favorable conditions for preserving and promoting cultural identity in association with tourism development.

According to statistics, there are 16 cultural houses, 16 art troupes, and 2 clubs for preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group managed by the Commune People’s Committee. Cultural, artistic, and sports activities take place regularly, serving as a foundation to preserve and promote the traditional cultural identity of the homeland, creating a rich and diverse traditional culture.

Comrade Vu Quoc Tam - Chairman of the Commune People’s Committee stated: Over the past years, officials and people of all ethnic groups in the commune have always been united and unanimous in successfully achieving the assigned socio-economic targets. The political security, social order, and safety are guaranteed, and the people’s standard of living is increasingly improved. Cultural and sports activities are always receiving due attention, serving as both a driving force and a goal for social development.

Along with preserving many traditional cultural heritage values, the locality pays close attention to effectively implementing the Project on Preserving and Promoting the Value of Typical Intangible Cultural Heritages of Ethnic Groups in the Province, for the 2018 - 2030 period.

Deployment activities include: researching, collecting, and preserving the art heritage of Thuong rang - Bo meng singing and hat dum of the Muong ethnic group; and establishing the Muong Khuong Muong-language singing club, attracting 29 members. The Muong community here also preserves unique tangible cultural heritages, such as traditional stilt houses and Muong gong instruments; as well as establishing and maintaining the operation of a Muong traditional musical instrument club in Cha hamlet with 17 members.

In addition to preserving stilt house architecture, the Muong community here still maintains traditional lifestyles and many traditional labor tools made from materials available in nature, such as: weaving looms, bows, crossbows, farming tools, and field cultivation tools... forming unique habits in daily life as well as in daily production labor.

The cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group is also promoted by the Muong community here through tourism models combined with sustainable livelihoods, creating a motivation for the government and local people to restore and preserve traditional values. Coming to eco-tourism and community-based tourism spots in the commune, visitors can stay in peaceful, pristine villages; experience purely agricultural life along with interesting farming activities; listen to charming Muong girls in traditional costumes introduce weaving crafts and brocade products; enjoy signature dishes of the Muong people; and join in cultural exchanges rich in national identity with dances, folk songs, and the echoing sounds of Muong gongs.

Bui Minh