A shrine dedicated to the holy lady of Mount Sam in An Giang (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam hasassigned the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to work with relevantagencies on the preparation of dossiers on two of Vietnam’s intangible culturalheritages for UNESCO recognition.
They are Mo Muong prayer singing in the northwesternprovince of Hoa Binh and Via Ba Chua Xu festival in the Mekong Delta provinceof An Giang.
According to folk culture researchers, Mo is used by Muongethnic people to practice a variety of rituals in daily life.
Mo Muong has a long-lasting life because it comprises allfolk cultural values of the ethnic Muong people, including fork literature,folk singing, folk rituals telling about people’s knowledge and behavior.
Mo Muong is the essence of experience in labour, production,cultural behavior and philosophy of life, reflecting the love of life, peopleand hometown. It shows the courage and personality of the Muong ethnic peopleand land of Muong Hoa Binh. Mo Muong reflects the characteristics, the soul andmoral principles of the Muong ethnic minority people.
For generations, Muong people have preserved, passed downand promoted Mo Muong values in a sustainable manner, giving vitality andinspiring capability of the intangible cultural heritage.
Meanwhile, the Via Ba Chua Xu spiritual festival honours theholy lady of Mount Sam in An Giang’s Chau Doc city.
The festival annually takes place from the 22nd to the 27thof the fourth lunar month.
The event goes through a number of rituals, most importantlythe rite of statue bathing on the opening day.
According to a popular mythology, the goddess statue wasdiscovered on the top of Mount Sam, and then carried to the foot of themountain, where she has been housed and worshipped until today.
The festival also features a range of cultural activities,including musical concerts, a dragon-dance performance and a boat race.
It was recognised as a national intangible heritage in late2014./.
