Cultural Preservation

Cultural Preservation

As part of the project entitled “Discovery and Re-discovery of the Muong Culture through Education” in Tu Ne and Thanh Hoi Communes, Tan Lac District, Hoa Binh Province, at two secondary schools of Thanh Hoi and Tu Ne communes, teachers have been encouraged to adopt new methods of teaching designed by the student-learning centre. Four courses have been run for teachers willing to apply new techniques that incorporate creativity development with teaching about Muong traditional culture. These new techniques helped to increase the students’ interest in learning about their traditional culture and improved relationship between teachers and students. As a result, apart from gaining more sophisticated knowledge of the Muong culture, students showed an increase in their national pride. The new approach has been accepted by the Ministry of Education and Training and has been applied not only in Vietnam, but also in the Pacific Region.

Within the framework of the same project, CECAD took the initiative to help the Muong ethnic minority group to preserve the Muong cultural identity and cultural heritage together with in Tu Ne and Thanh Hoi communes. For instance, stilt houses were reinstated instead of concrete ones. CECAD also facilitated establishment of Tourism groups (CBO) in both Thanh Hoi and Tu Ne communes. The groups include 44 members; 14 members offer services to tourists (including homestays, tour guides and restaurants). Additionally, groups have been established to produce traditional handicrafts and to perform traditional Muong songs and dances. The number of people visiting the villages every year is around 100 national and 300 international tourists and is likely to increase.