Mu Cang Chai district, with nearly 96% of its population from ethnic minorities, includes 89.4% Mong people, who preserve rich cultural traditions such as the Gau Tao festival, the New Rice Offering, wedding customs, and traditional dance and music…
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A vibrant performance showcasing Mong cultural heritage at the 2024 Paragliding Festival in Mu Cang Chai.
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Notably, the creative labor of generations of the Mong people has resulted in the awe-inspiring terraced fields, now recognized as a national heritage landscape. With the potential of its natural conditions, landscapes, and ethnic cultural identity, and with a commitment to linking economic and social development with the preservation and promotion of ethnic cultural values as both a goal and a mission, Mu Cang Chai strives to become a tourism district — a "unique, safe, and friendly” destination. In recent years, the task of preserving and promoting the traditional cultural identity of the ethnic communities in Mu Cang Chai, especially the Mong ethnic group, has consistently received attention and focus from all levels and sectors.
To this end, Mu Cang Chai has passed two resolutions focused on preserving Mong's cultural identity alongside tourism development. Initiatives include building a local identity around "friendliness, kindness, unity, creativity, and integration," encouraging modernization without losing cultural roots.
Efforts to pass on the Mong cultural heritage to future generations include teaching crafts like khen flute-making, brocade embroidery, and beeswax art. These traditional arts, including Mong dances, brocade weaving, and beeswax patterning, are even integrated into schools to create happy schools and tourism schools.
Traditional dances like Khen (Mong’s pan flute), scarf, and coin stick dances are now part of daily physical activities and extracurriculars across district schools. The district has also established 110 cultural performance teams in local communities to perform for residents and visitors alike.
At the end of 2023, a ceremony was held to announce the Decision and present the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Certification for the Mong people’s bamboo pipe art and wax patterning on fabric in Mu Cang Chai, Tram Tau, and Van Chan districts. The 2023 Mong Khen and the Prunus Cerasoides Flower Festival left a lasting impression, garnering significant interest and support not only from residents within the district but also from ethnic communities across the region.
Mr. Hang A Ky, Head of the Mass Mobilization Committee and Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Mu Cang Chai district shared: "The work of preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Mong people in our district has been successfully implemented with the support and consensus of local authorities and the community. This initiative already contributes to socio-economic development and serves as an essential foundation for further showcasing and promoting the beautiful land and people of Mu Cang Chai, advancing it as a tourist destination defined by ‘identity, safety, and friendliness.’ Especially as ethnic cultural values are preserved, respected, and celebrated, they inspire pride and aspiration within the community, motivating people to leverage and develop cultural heritage for tourism, poverty alleviation, and economic growth.”
Thu Hanh
Despite a 40% drop in tourist numbers in September due to the impact of Typhoon No. 3, Yen Bai welcomed over 1.114 million visitors in the first ten months of 2024—a 51.58% increase year-over-year.
Recently, at the Nhuoc Son Temple, a national cultural and historical site located in Ngoc Chau Hamlet, Chau Que Ha Commune, Van Yen District, the New Rice Offering Ceremony was held to honor the great contributions of General Ha Chuong of the Tay ethnic group. The ceremony also conveyed wishes for a life of prosperity, warmth, and happiness.
Recently, in Yen Thanh Commune, Yen Binh District, a preservation event was held for the Harvest Festival (also known as the Twelve Zodiac Animals Festival) celebrated by the Dao Quan Trang community.
Comrade Vu Thi Hien Hanh, Vice Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Yen Bai Province and Chairwoman of the Provincial Appraisal Council, recently chaired a meeting to review nominations for the title of Artisan in the field of intangible cultural heritage for the third time, in 2024.
