Members of the Vietnam Ethnic Minority Literature and Arts Association in Hue City organized a field trip.

From restored works

In 2021, the Association of Literature and Arts of Vietnamese Ethnic Minorities in Hue City, using socialized resources, published the journal "Green Mountain" (Hue University Publishing House), 170 pages thick, with the participation of authors who are writers, poets, researchers, painters, architects, musicians, photographers from Hue, Hanoi, Gia Lai and Dak Lak. Valuable in this journal are the contributions of articles from members who are ethnic minorities in the area, such as Dr. Ke Suu - Ta Oi ethnic group; Meritorious Artist Ta Du Tu, Pa Co ethnic group... They are the ones who transmit and act as a bridge to bring the literature and arts of ethnic minorities in Hue City into harmony with the flower garden of literature and arts of ethnic minorities in Vietnam.

In 2025, the Association continued to publish the magazine "Green Mountain" (Thuan Hoa Publishing House), 100 pages thick, distributed nationwide. In 2024, the Association helped the Department of Culture and Information of A Luoi district publish a good publication, which is "Collection of songs praising the Party, Uncle Ho and the homeland of A Luoi". The collection of songs contains content praising and the people's steadfast trust in the leadership of the Party, gratitude to beloved Uncle Ho; besides, there are also songs about the homeland of A Luoi today.

In 2022, the Association helped the People's Committee of A Luoi district publish the book "Culinary handbook of 100 unique dishes in the A Luoi highlands" (Thuan Hoa Publishing House). The book introduces typical cuisine: Booth group (grilled), hoor group (tuberculosis), uh group (boiled), a ham hooh group (blood pudding)... In introducing the dishes, the book introduces images of the dishes prepared by artisans; names in the languages ​​of the Pa Co, Ta Oi, Co Tu people; ingredients and preparation methods. The book is an interesting handbook for tourists to have more basis to explore many new things in the A Luoi highlands.

In 2023, the Hue City Union of Literature and Arts Associations and the Association in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Information of A Luoi district joined hands to implement the project of restoring ancient pottery. Up to now, the first ceramic products have been displayed in festivals and pottery making classes have been opened for the younger generation. Meritorious Artist Ho Van Hanh (Trung Son commune), who is always passionate about preserving the cultural identity of the village, hopes: "Who knows, there will be seeds that will break the shell to grow high, a Pa Co pottery village will be present in the village at the foot of the majestic Truong Son mountain range, continuing to tell beautiful stories about the village and its people".

Many burning plans

Hue City currently has about 55,000 ethnic people of Pa Co, Ta Oi, Co Tu, Bru Van Kieu, Pa Hy... living mainly in the two districts of Phu Loc, A Luoi and some mountainous areas of Phong Dien district and Huong Tra town.

Since ancient times, in the mountains and forests west of Hue City, there have existed rich and unique folk cultural heritages. In recent years, the work of preserving and developing the culture of ethnic minorities has always been of interest to localities, specifically the restoration of traditional communal houses of the Ta Oi people, the Guol houses of the Co Tu people, the Moong houses of the Pa Co people; the construction of a house displaying cultural and war artifacts, a house displaying historical artifacts of A Biah Hill (A Luoi). Many typical traditional festivals are regularly maintained and restored according to the customs and practices of each ethnic group, such as: Arieu A Da, Arieu Piing, Arieu Car, weddings and traditional underwater activities of the Pa Co people, the housewarming festival of the Ta Oi people, the Yang Xuq festival of the Co Tu people, etc.

Folk songs, folk dances, folk music and festivals with unique cultural identities of ethnic minorities have also been preserved and promoted. A Luoi district has collected, developed and performed 15 genres of folk songs, over 16 genres of folk music, 12 folk dances of A Luoi ethnic minorities. Phu Loc district has collected and restored the melodies and lyrics of the Co Tu ethnic minority such as: Ly singing, Ly speaking, Tantung-Zazã dance, gong beating, celebrating new rice, entering a new house, Bhonooch, Babooch, Cha chap, Kaloi...

Currently, in many villages, the sound of the Ta Oi weaving looms is still echoing. The cuisine is still being maintained by the people in the firepits during festivals and culinary festivals at the community tourism villages in A Hua (Nham commune), A Ka (A Roang commune), Viet Tien (Hong Kim commune), A Lin stream, A Nor waterfall, Par le stream... (A Luoi); in the communes of Thuong Long, Thuong Quang, Thuong Lo... (Phu Loc). The development of homestay tourism has introduced the traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic minorities, maintaining a community space... The members of the Association of Literature and Arts of Ethnic Minorities of Vietnam in Hue City are always there to record, collect, research, and create.

Ho Dang Thanh Ngoc