Phu Yen district preserves cultural identity of Muong ethnic group

The Party Committee and administration of Phu Yen district, Son La province have exerted great efforts to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values of the Muong ethnic group, which accounts for 43% of the district’s population.

Members of the Dang Muong Club in Muong Thai commune, Phu Yen district.

In 2016, Muong Thai commune established the Dang Muong Club (songs in Muong language) to preserve and develop the group’s traditional cultural identity and their aspiration to reach the values of truth - goodness - beauty in life. Each lyric contains the unique and long-standing traditional cultural values of the Muong ethnic people.

Currently, the club has 40 members, the oldest is over 60 years old and the youngest is 10 years old. Despite different ages, they share the same passion for the Dang Muong melodies. After the crops, the members have time to collect, choreograph and restore ancient folk songs as well as organize performances on holidays, New Year festivals, weddings, and new house celebrations for the people in the hamlets.

The traditional dance of the Muong ethnic group is reenacted at the Moi Festival.

In Huy Tan commune, in recent years, Muong ethnic people have been supported to restore the Moi Festival in the early spring, meeting the people's need to enjoy healthy spiritual culture. The festival features rituals and festive activities which are interlaced. In the festival, there are four basic dances, all reflecting the hard-working and creative life of the local people. They include the spring festival dance, the traditional dance with Moi scarves dance; the dance featuring the nem con (throwing a scared ball through the ring) game; and the dance describing cotton growing and weaving.

In recent years, Phu Yen district has strengthened the management, preservation and promotion of Muong ethnic cultural values, including literature, art, language, customs, beliefs, cuisine and costumes. It has invested in facilities and funds for culture, sports, information and activities to preserve and promote cultural identity.

The district has encouraged the entire people to participate in building and developing an advanced culture imbued with national identity, and maintained the activities of two Dang Muong clubs in Tuong Ha and Muong Thai communes. It has coordinated with the provincial Center of Culture and Cinematography in the restoration of the Moi Festival in Huy Tan and Muong Thai communes; and encouraged residents to use traditional costumes in daily life...

At the same time, Phu Yen has created conditions for experts, organizations and individuals to research, preserve and introduce the beauty of Muong ethnic culture; and promoted the mobiblisation of social sources to turn cultural values into tourism products. It has also honoured and given preferential treatment to artisans with contributions to the dissemination of the Muong ethnic group’s traditional cultural values.

A practicing session of the Dang Muong Club in Muong Thai commune

The preservation and promotion of the Muong ethnic group’s cultural values contribute to not only building and developing the cultural and spiritual life of ethnic minorities, and effectively implementing the movement "All people unite to build cultural life" at the grassroots level, but also to promoting local tourism and socio-economic development.

Huy Thanh
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