Mong Ethnic Group Holds First Culture Festival in Ha Giang
The first Mong (H’mong) Ethnic Culture Festival was kicked off in Meo Vac district, the northernmost province of Ha Giang on February 28. The two-day event aims to nurture the traditional culture of the Mong ethnic minority group that has been passed on for generations and motivate them to work harder in order to have a better life. A wide range of activities were enacted by locals to introduce their life and customs including rites on the New Year’s Eve, engagement rituals and the rite of naming a grown-up man. A competition on building stone fence was held, and visitors were invited to try their hand at making the Mong’s staple food – the “men men” from maize powder. The traditional “con” throwing (throwing a cloth ball through a ring) and Khen (pan pipe) performances warmed up the atmosphere, and a beauty contest attracted crowds of young people. The same day, Meo Vac district held a ceremony to receive certificates that recognize Rong (Dragon) Cave in Ta Lung and Pa Vi communes and the Hue Bien (Crinoidea) fossil area in Lung Pu commune as national relic sites. The Giay ethnic people’s New Year Festival in Tat Nga commune was also added to the national intangible cultural heritage on the occasion. (vietnamplus.vn March 1)