Tran Yen preserves cultural identity of ethnic groups

  •  Thursday, December 10, 2020

Tran Yen district in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai is now home to 16 ethnic minority groups and each has its own custom.

Mong people in Kien Thanh commune, Tran Yen district weave traditional costumes
Mong people in Kien Thanh commune, Tran Yen district weave traditional costumes

In Hoa Cuong commune, everyone knows that Ninh Quang Thanh, a Cao Lan ethnic, still keeps several ancient books guiding its rituals such as sinh ca singing, praying for bumper harvest and rain, maturity ritual and others. 

He conducted many maturity ceremonies for young men in and outside the village, taught generations how to read and write ethnic language, exercise traditional rituals, perform traditional songs and dances such as sinh ca songs. He also successfully built a club to preserve Cao Lan ethnic cultural identity with over 30 members. 

Apart from the beauty of traditional costume, language and custom, Muong ethnic group in Quy Mong commune is also maintaining its rich tangible and intangible culture, especially the "moi” dance that holds significance in their spiritual life. A "moi” dance team was formed in Lap Thanh village, Quy Mong commune under the guidance of artisan Ha Thi Hien. 

Kien Thanh commune successfully restored Long tong festival (or festival to pray for bumper harvest) – one of the biggest festivals held in the beginning of each year after over five decades of being lost in oblivion. The festival contributed to reviving ancient dances such as boat rowing, fan, sword, teo keo and quet san rong dances. 

Covering a vast area, Tran Yen features many remote and ethnic minority communes. The district has 21 communes and townships with 16 ethnic groups, including 15 ethnic minorities with over 32,000 people, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the local population. Apart from similarities in community culture, each group still upholds its own cultural identity, creating a rich traditional culture imbued with national identity. 

At the same time, the district has focused on restoring and maintaining special festivals of ethnic minorities such as Doc village festival of Tay ethnic group in Viet Hong commune, Hoa Cuong temple festival in Hoa Cuong commune, Long tong festival in Kien Thanh commune, Ky Can communal house festival in Y Can commune, and temple festival in Quy Mong commune. A number of traditional arts of ethnic groups have been restored such as mouth harp, leaf horn, drum dance of Mong ethnic group, trong tang sanh of Dao ethnic people, and others. 

Party organisations, authorities, agencies, mass organisations and communes also adopted a number of measures to fully preserve costumes, languages and accommodations as well as values of ethnic groups, and attracted tourism development projects, with a focus on cultural values in villages./.

Ngoc Son