Thai ethnic cultural space is restored at Quynh Nhai District Culture, Sports and Tourism Week 2024

Since ancient times, ethnic minorities have lived in village communities. From there, a sense of community was formed and cultural spaces were created with the unique characteristics of each ethnic group. These are traditional values ​​that are preserved and passed down by ethnic minorities, such as culture, customs, beliefs, folk knowledge, house architecture, traditional costumes, etc. All of these are formed and preserved in an environment with village cohesion, community spirit and a common belief.

After many years of researching the culture of Son La's ethnic groups, Mr. Dinh Van Lien, Head of the Provincial Folk Arts Association, shared: Each ethnic group in Son La has its own cultural features, thereby forming the diversity and richness in the culture of the ethnic groups, creating the appeal of the land and people of Son La.

Recreating the daily life of the Mong people.

The common cultural space helps to converge and spread values ​​and beauty in religious activities, spiritual life and community culture. In the cultural space of the Thai ethnic group, there are stilt houses with rhythmic xoe dances, resonant sounds of the Tinh lute, and clear and clear cau xap, with Com shirts and Pieu scarves... The cultural space of the Mong ethnic group has Khen dances, Tha Khung dances, colorful costumes, linen culture, and weaving... The Dao ethnic group has unique beliefs and special traditional rituals from weddings, ordination ceremonies, the art of dyeing, and beeswax pattern painting... The ethnic groups in the highlands share the same beliefs in worshiping river gods, mountain gods, and forest gods, and in harvest festivals, expressing admiration for the supernatural being formed from a long-standing life attached to the great forest. It can be said that the 12 ethnic groups in Son La with their unique and distinctive cultures create a colorful, humane and original cultural space in the Northwest highlands, full of roots and charm.

The unique cultural space of ethnic groups is also a potential for developing cultural tourism associated with natural landscapes. Son La tourism increasingly focuses on preserving, promoting and exploiting the potential of traditional ethnic cultures. A typical example is community tourism with the formation of tourist villages with the identity of ethnic minorities, restoring traditional architecture, preserving landscapes, natural environment, preserving cultural activities and attractive experiences for tourists. In particular, it is necessary to mention attractive community tourism destinations with cultural spaces typical of each ethnic group, such as: Experiencing the cultural space of the Thai ethnic group in Ang village - Dong Sang commune, Doi village - Tan Lap commune (Moc Chau); Bon village - Muong Chien commune (Quynh Nhai); Hum village - Chieng Xom commune (City); Kha village - Sap Vat commune (Yen Chau). Or explore the unique cultural space of the Mong ethnic group at the community tourism site of Hua Tat village, Van Ho commune (Van Ho district); Ta So village, Chieng Hac commune (Moc Chau)...

Dao ethnic cultural experience activities at the Provincial Museum

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, Vice Chairwoman of Moc Chau District People's Committee, said: Preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic groups is an important solution for Moc Chau to develop tourism in a sustainable direction. Therefore, the district always attaches importance to promoting and preserving traditional culture, organizing activities to restore festivals and cultural spaces of ethnic groups, preserving and promoting 11 national intangible cultural heritages that have been recognized in the district as a driving force and attractive factor to attract tourists to Moc Chau.

At cultural and tourism events of the province and localities, ethnic cultural spaces are always restored to introduce the unique features in the overall cultural picture of ethnic groups. From architectural spaces, daily activities to people, costumes, festivals, traditional beliefs... are vividly recreated, helping viewers to fully learn, enjoy, and feel the folk culture of ethnic groups, seeing the appeal of traditional values ​​of the highland people.

Reenacting a traditional Red Dao ethnic ritual.

Participating in the survey team at Moc Chau National Tourist Area, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, Deputy Director of Dynamic Travel, Hanoi City, commented: Son La not only has attractive natural landscapes but the attraction of tourism here is the unique culture of ethnic minorities. The architectural space, traditional culture, and landscapes in many villages still retain their pristine beauty. This is a value and tourism potential that needs to be preserved and maintained to create attraction for tourists.

The cultural space of Son La ethnic groups is also introduced at large-scale cultural and service events held in major cities across the country. These include cultural promotion activities held annually at the Vietnam Ethnic Culture Village (Hanoi); organizing the tourism event "Colors of Son La - Northwest" during the Ho Chi Minh City and Northwestern Provinces Tourism Week in Ho Chi Minh City in 2023; Northwest Cultural Tourism Week in Luang Prabang Province, Lao PDR in 2023; Son La - Hua Phan Cultural Tourism Festival in 2024... This is an opportunity to promote and introduce the culture of Son La ethnic groups to friends and tourists at home and abroad, helping to honor and shine the culture, arousing the honor and pride in cultural traditions in the hearts of each compatriot, those who are holding the national heritage.

Ethnic cultural space is recreated on the stage of the tour guide competition

Mr. Tran Xuan Viet, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: According to the general orientation, Son La focuses on developing fast and sustainable tourism associated with preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic groups and cultural heritage; protecting and embellishing landscapes and environments. In particular, focusing on building specific tourism products of each locality in the province associated with potentials and landscapes, creating links between tourism types to develop unique, different and professional Son La tourism products. At the same time, organizing events to promote and introduce tourism products, cultural products and local products to attract tourists.

Preserving the traditional cultural space of ethnic groups is not only the responsibility of the community to preserve the values ​​of the origin, but also an important solution to enrich the humanistic tourism resources of Son La land, creating attraction for the province's tourism to develop in a sustainable direction.

Thanh Dao, Hoang Giang