We arrived at Pi Tay village, Muong La commune, where 42/219 La Ha households live. The first impression was the traditional costumes handmade by the women here. La Ha women often wear shirts with silver buttons, black skirts with blue waistbands, blue belts, embroidered Pieu scarves and wear their hair in a bun on top of their heads after marriage, like Thai women. Men's costumes are simpler, such as short blouses, leaf-shaped pants, and headscarves, all dyed indigo. From a young age, girls are introduced to fabrics and colored threads by their grandmothers and mothers, and are able to sew and embroider traditional costumes.

Pi Tay village women teach their children to embroider Pieu scarves.

Mrs. Ca Thi Quyet, Pi Tay village, said: I taught my children and grandchildren from a young age how to choose fabric and spin thread to embroider our ethnic costumes. My children and granddaughters have all learned to embroider since they were 12 years old, and know how to sew traditional costumes for themselves and their families.

Pi Tay village women instruct their nieces on how to wear the Pieu scarf.

Leaving Pi Tay village, we went to Cha Lao village, where 76/79 households are La Ha people. The village maintains a mass art troupe, which not only gathers talented people but also serves as the “nucleus” to preserve and spread the ethnic identity. Tang Bu dances symbolizing fertility, A Sung Lung dances bustling with the pole and jars of rice wine… all tell stories about production work, crops, and hope for favorable weather and a prosperous village.

Can wine is a typical drink that reflects the traditional culture of the La Ha people.

Ms. Lo Thi Mai, from the Cha Lao village art troupe, shared: La Ha people associate traditional dances with their farming life. To preserve their identity, we regularly practice and perform in cultural events of the village and commune and teach our children and grandchildren, preserving the cultural beauty from fading away.

A performance by the La Ha people at the Pang A Festival.

The La Ha community is living in 7 villages of Muong La commune: Huoi Ban, Huoi Lieng, Huoi Hoc, Nong Quai, Pa Kim, Cha Lao and Pi Tay, with 357 people. Implementing the policy of socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas, the commune has implemented many policies to preserve and promote traditional cultural values ​​in a profound and creative way. The commune government always cares and supports the maintenance of core art troupes in the villages, effectively mobilizing social resources to organize traditional programs and festivals, typically the restoration of the Xen Pang A festival. In particular, people in the villages have proactively opened La Ha classes for children of different ages, usually held on weekends. In addition, the commune also organizes training courses on cultural preservation, creating a space for La Ha people and other ethnic groups in the area to exchange and learn experiences, thereby increasing pride and responsibility in preserving the cultural heritage of their people.

Woman in traditional La Ha ethnic costume.

Ms. Ca Thi Thuy, Head of the Muong La Commune Culture Department, said: The priority policies for La Ha people not only support economic development, hunger eradication and poverty reduction, but also encourage the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values, improving spiritual life. Thereby, helping people believe in the Party's guidelines, the State's laws and strengthening national unity, especially in remote and isolated villages.

Despite many positive results, the work of preserving La Ha ethnic culture still faces challenges from modern life, causing a number of festivals, folk songs, folk dances, and writings to be at risk of being lost. In the coming time, Muong La commune will continue to implement support programs, restore festivals, improve the quality of art troupes, expand oral classes of ethnic languages, contributing to the sustainable preservation of La Ha cultural values ​​and ethnic communities in the area.