The Mang Ma (health praying) ritual of the Xinh Mun people in Son La province has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Pa Cong village, Huoi Mot commune, Song Ma district, has 85 households of Xinh Mun people living together with Thai people. Eating, living and doing activities together have influenced the cultural features of the Xinh Mun people from the Thai ethnic group. Mr. Lo Van Cau, a retired cadre and a prestigious person of Pa Cong village, shared: In the past, the Xinh Mun people had their own language, belonging to the South Asian language family, the Mon - Khmer group, but during their life, there was interference with the language of the Thai ethnic group. The Xinh Mun people's language today is no longer the standard language but is mixed with many Thai words. Most Xinh Mun people are fluent in Thai in their daily life and communication. Folk performances such as singing, dancing, games, etc. are similar or completely identical to those of the Thai ethnic group.

In the border commune of Phieng Pan, Mai Son district, 12/17 villages are inhabited by Xinh Mun people, accounting for 73.22% of the local population. Mr. Vi Van Lech, Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said: Many customs and practices of the Xinh Mun people here are still preserved and conserved. Among them, there are traditional rituals, such as celebrating new rice, praying for crops, naming... However, the rituals all use the prayers of the Thai people. The traditional stilt house architecture of the Xinh Mun people also has similarities with the Thai people with the roof of the house curved in the shape of a turtle shell.

The Xinh Mun community in our province has two branches, Xinh Mun nt and Xinh Mun da, with about 4,200 households and more than 15,600 people, mainly distributed in the villages in the Vietnam - Laos border area of ​​Yen Chau and Song Ma districts. In addition, there are also some scattered in Mai Son, Thuan Chau and Muong La districts.

Mr. Pham Hong Thu, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, informed: In terms of culture, the Xinh Mun people are greatly influenced by the culture of the Thai ethnic group. However, the hidden elements of the Xinh Mun ethnic group's own identity still exist, such as the language, although mixed with Thai, still has its own characteristics. The Xinh Mun people have many social customs that are deeply imbued with national identity, in which, customary laws are built into village covenants and conventions, democratically approved and all members of the village are committed to implementing.

In their religious life, the people have the custom of worshipping their ancestors, but they do not hold it on the death anniversary every year like other people, but hold it together when moving into a new house, eating new rice or having a happy event. For funeral ceremonies, the family holds the funeral for how many days, and every year on those days, the family must abstain from selling livestock and from planting corn and rice. In addition, the Xinh Mun people also have other festivals, such as the Xen Ban festival and the Mang Ma festival, which are presided over by shamans and held at the beginning of the year, praying for favorable weather, good crops and bountiful harvests.

The traditional costumes of Xinh Mun women have many similarities with those of Thai women, but still have their own distinct features. The daily shirt is mainly a colorful com shirt, with a collar attached to the chest band. The skirt is black, from the waist down to the ankle. The skirt body and hem are embroidered with floral patterns, with the highlight being the belt wrapped around the waist. The belt is usually made of silk, light in color, and the knot is usually located on the right hip... This confirms that the Xinh Mun people have not been completely assimilated culturally. They still have their own cultural nuances. The problem is to preserve, maintain and promote the cultural identity of the people, not to let it fade away.

In 2015, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism conducted an inventory and established a scientific dossier of the intangible cultural heritage of the Xinh Mun ethnic group. The Provincial Museum carried out the restoration of typical rituals along with the teaching of folk songs and dances of the Xinh Mun people. In 2020, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism conducted a survey, selected and established a scientific dossier of the Mang Ma (health-praying) ritual to propose the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to recognize and include it in the List of national intangible cultural heritage.

However, at present, the work of preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Xinh Mun people still faces many difficulties. Most of the artisans are old, and the organization of teaching traditional cultural forms has not been systematic... To preserve and promote the traditional culture of the Xinh Mun people, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has advised the Provincial People's Committee to include a number of specific contents in the implementation plan of Project 6 under the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the period 2021 - 2030, Phase I (2021 - 2025). In particular, priority is given to establishing and maintaining cultural clubs and art troupes; supporting equipment for cultural houses in villages where Xinh Mun people live; organizing training courses on teaching intangible cultural heritage; preserving and restoring traditional festivals to serve tourism development...

From the investment resources of the National Target Program, the attention of the Party Committee and authorities at all levels in the province, we believe that the work of preserving and promoting the heritage of the Xinh Mun people will be carried out systematically and effectively, contributing to improving the spiritual life of the people, creating diversity in the cultural picture of the ethnic communities in the province.

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