Indigenous culture key to tourism development

In Dong Bai village, Quang Lac commune, 100% of households are Muong ethnic people. The village has established a Muong ethnic culture, arts and sports club since 2019.

Mr. Bui Thanh Manh, Party cell secretary, head of the village front work committee, head of the Muong ethnic culture, arts and sports club in Dong Bai village, said: From 30 initial members, the club has now attracted 120 members, with diverse ages participating. Club members voluntarily contribute funds to strengthen the gong team, buy costumes and perform on holidays, Tet and village festivals.

"In particular, in recent years, the unique culture of the Muong ethnic group has always had great appeal to domestic and foreign tourists. Cultural identity has opened up opportunities for us to do community tourism through exploiting unique cultural values. From there, we create resources for economic development and improve the quality of life. Not only performing for local tourists, the Club also accepts invitations to perform at many events in other localities in and outside the province" - Mr. Manh excitedly shared.

Although the whole commune has only 2 villages with over 30 Muong households, Xich Tho commune has made many efforts to restore, preserve and promote the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group in today's life.

Ms. Bui Thi Chien, Vice President of the Muong Ethnic Club of Xich Tho Commune, said: The club was only established in October 2023 but has received enthusiastic support and encouragement from not only the Muong people in Xich Tho but also from local people.

Currently, we have made many efforts to restore, practice and perform folk games and typical folk dances that are very popular with local people.

In the future, not only will we try to restore, awaken and pass on to the younger generation the unique indigenous culture, we also hope to guide and share experiences to develop tourism and create livelihoods for our people from those unique cultural features.

Indigenous culture key to tourism development — Stilt walking - a folk game that attracts tourists.

With that very practical wish, when Nho Quan district coordinated to organize a training program, fostering and teaching intangible culture and training to foster tourism skills and expertise associated with exploiting traditional cultural values of the Muong ethnic group, cultural workers like Ms. Chien were very excited and actively participated.

Ms. Chien said that the very practical knowledge shared by experts on: the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws related to the work of preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage; the position and role of cultural officials, artisans, and prestigious people in preserving and promoting the value of national cultural identity at the grassroots level; students will be guided and taught basic skills in using traditional musical instruments; folk songs and dances; folk remedies; typical culinary arts of the Muong people; teaching the language, writing and some folk prayers of the Muong people; ways to promote the value of cultural identity to develop community tourism... helped her and many students "break out" many things.

Dr. Do Tran Phuong, Deputy Head of the Faculty of Tourism, Hanoi University of Culture, is one of the lecturers participating in the training course. He said: Preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities in association with tourism development is a policy that many localities across the country are interested in promoting in order to improve the lives of people in ethnic minority areas. This is also the content of Project 6 under the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period.

The Project aims to restore, preserve and promote traditional cultural values, train and foster cultural staff; support cultural facilities and equipment for ethnic minority and mountainous areas to enhance cultural enjoyment for ethnic minorities associated with community tourism development.

In the training program, many contents were conveyed to support localities in developing community tourism in a sustainable and professional direction such as: supporting the preservation of ethnic minority culture to serve tourism product development; supporting training, coaching, and capacity building for ethnic minorities to participate in tourism development...

We hope that the shared knowledge, skills and experiences will partly support ethnic minority people in the most effective way to do tourism based on cultural identity.

However, according to Dr. Do Tran Phuong, in order to link intangible culture with tourism development, localities need to conduct specific research in many areas such as culture, typical cuisine, customs, living habits, etc., thereby orienting the core values of the community to nurture, preserve and promote those values.

Tourism professionals need to attract visitors by exploiting forms of community cultural experiences. That is the way to both preserve and spread indigenous culture and develop sustainable community tourism.

Nho Quan is a mountainous district with a population of over 152 thousand people, of which ethnic minorities (mainly Muong people) account for 17%, living mainly in 7 communes out of 27 communes and towns of the district, including: Cuc Phuong, Ky Phu, Phu Long, Quang Lac, Yen Quang, Thach Binh, Van Phuong and village 4, village 5, Phu Son commune; Duc Thanh village, Hong Quang village, Xich Tho commune. Ethnic minorities living in the district have their own cultural activities, customs and practices, thus creating rich and diverse cultural identity values.

Mr. Tran Van Manh, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Nho Quan district, said: In order to enhance the cultural enjoyment needs of the people, from 2017 to now, the district has paid attention to maintaining the annual organization of the Cultural and Sports Festival of Nho Quan district's ethnic groups so that people can enhance exchanges, develop cultural and artistic activities, and folk games. Thereby, contributing to preserving, maintaining and promoting the good traditional cultural values of the ethnic groups in the district.

However, currently, the preservation and promotion of intangible cultural values of the Muong ethnic group in Nho Quan is facing many difficulties in terms of both resources and human resources.

Therefore, the development of a plan and implementation of training courses, fostering, teaching intangible culture and skills, tourism profession associated with exploiting traditional cultural values of the Muong ethnic group in Nho Quan district in 2023 is a very urgent task in the current period, in order to promptly restore, preserve, and promote the value of typical intangible cultural heritages, which are at risk of being lost and forgotten.

The results of the training courses are also the basis for the Department of Culture and Information to continue advising the District People's Committee to develop plans, projects and projects to effectively preserve and promote the cultural heritage of the Muong ethnic group in association with socio-economic development. Thereby, contributing to improving the material and spiritual life of people in ethnic minority areas in the following years.

Dao Hang - Anh Tu

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