Son La is home to 12 ethnic groups, each with its own long-standing, rich, and distinctive culture. These are valuable intangible cultural heritages preserved by the people from generation to generation, carrying special significance and representing the beliefs, traditional culture, and origins of the ethnic groups.
Performance of traditional folk songs and dances of the Thai ethnic group.
Mr. Dinh Lien, the Chairman of the Folk Arts Association of the province, shared, "Each ethnic group in Son La has its own unique and distinctive cultural features, which have merged with the flow of history to create a vibrant and colorful cultural tapestry. Within this tapestry, each culture has its own unique highlights and characteristics, forming symbols that represent each ethnic group. Whenever we mention an ethnic group, we immediately think of these unique cultural features.
When mentioning Son La - Northwest Vietnam, many people immediately think of stilt houses, traditional clothing, scarves, and the Xoe dance that connects the community... these are characteristic features representing the long-standing culture of the Thai ethnic group, the majority ethnic group in Son La. When talking about highland culture, people will think of the colorful dresses like spring butterflies, the melodious flute music, the resonant khèn music, and the rhythmic tha khen dance of the Mong ethnic group. Or the distinctive features of the Dao ethnic culture with their vibrant bell dance and unique beeswax pattern-making art. And there is also the Muong shamanistic heritage of the Muong ethnic group, the festivals and dances of the Khmu, La Ha, and Khang peoples, such as "au eo," "tang bu," and "hun may." Along with many other age-old traditional cultural values of various ethnic groups, folk songs, folk music, folk dances, beliefs, folk knowledge, spoken language, and written language have been passed down orally and through handwriting to this day.
People's Artist Dieu Van Minh, from Muong Giang commune, Quynh Nhai district, shared: "The intangible cultural heritage of ethnic groups is very diverse, reflecting the entire process of formation and development of each ethnic group. Therefore, preserving this heritage is something that we artisans are always concerned about and strive to achieve by passing it on to our descendants. We hope to contribute to preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values left by our ancestors."
Over the years, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has implemented numerous solutions to preserve and promote intangible cultural heritage. Many scientific studies, projects, and programs have helped assess the current state of cultural heritage and provide effective directions and solutions for preserving and promoting the cultural values of ethnic groups in the province. To date, the heritage of 9 ethnic minority groups has been inventoried according to 7 types of intangible cultural heritage; research has been conducted, scientific dossiers have been compiled, and these heritages have been included in the list of intangible cultural heritage; projects, programs, and plans have been developed to preserve and promote the value of these heritages.
Research, collection, and documentation of traditional cultural forms such as folk songs, folk music, folk dances, handicrafts, and traditional rituals and festivals are based on the principle of selecting good customs and practices while gradually eliminating outdated ones; researching and restoring festivals, organizing community-based cultural activities to enrich the spiritual lives of the people and create unique cultural tourism products that attract tourists.
Restoring the Kin Pang Then festival of the Thai ethnic group in Quynh Nhai district.
Mr. Pham Hong Thu, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: The cultural sector focuses on promoting the value of the heritage held by ethnic minorities to awaken pride in their national culture and to work together to preserve and promote the value of existing cultural heritage. We proactively, flexibly, and creatively utilize scientific and technological achievements and the development of the digital economy to preserve, maintain, and promote the beautiful and distinctive traditional cultural values of ethnic groups. At the same time, we encourage the use of ethnic folk materials in contemporary literary and artistic works to honor and develop culture in the new era.
Based on rankings and assessments from 2015 to the present, Son La province has 16 intangible cultural heritage items included in the national list of intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, including: Thai Xoe dance; the art of decorating patterns on Mong and Dao costumes; the art of Mong ethnic flute playing; Muong shamanism; the ancient script of the Thai ethnic group; and traditional festivals, rituals, social customs and beliefs of the ethnic groups living in the province. Among these, the Thai Xoe dance of Son La and other Northwestern provinces has been recognized by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
The province has 2 People's Artists and 34 Outstanding Artists in the field of intangible cultural heritage who have been awarded titles, and they are positive factors in transmitting culture in the community. Nearly 2,300 amateur performing arts groups have been established and maintained, contributing to preserving cultural beauty and popularizing culture as a product serving tourism.
The achievements, along with the practical solutions that have been and are being implemented, provide a solid foundation for the sustainable preservation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage; arousing pride and motivation for the people of Son La's ethnic groups to continue their traditions and preserve their cultural roots for future generations.
Text and photos: Thanh Dao
Preserving and promoting the value of intangible cultural heritage (baosonla.org.vn)