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Culture of Nung ethnic people in Bac Hoa village
In Bac Hoa, there are still nearly 100 rammed earth houses with unique architecture located in a hill area. Many earth houses were built many years ago, creating the unique cultural identity of Bac Hoa village. Despite time, the traditional houses of the Nung ethnic people still remain intact and stand firm amidst nature, mountains and forests.
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The communal house worshiping the God of Land stands by the ancient banyan tree in Bac Hoa village (Luc Ngan district). |
Hoang Ngoc Phien, Secretary of the village’s Party cell, said that more than 200 years ago, the forefathers of the first Nung ethnic minorities from Cao Bang and Lang Son provinces came here to form a village and chose a place with a nine terrain: mountains in the back, low hills in the front and terraced fields and river banks at the foot of the hills to serve production.
Then, the simple earth houses were built according to the Nung custom. Although the houses are simple, they have existed for a hundred years. Their architecture is also simply, usually with three compartments and two windows, ironwood frame, and thatch roof. Building materials were available at the site. The earth was mixed with gravel and a little water to create a high bond.
The people poured the earth into a wooden mold and then used the wooden pestle to compact it so that the earth is bound together. Then they removed the mold, creating a strong and solid wall. The walls are usually about 40 cm thick and 2-3 m high. Each house has two to four small windows for ventilation and light.
The communal house worshipping the God of Land is a long-standing tangible cultural work in Bac Hoa village. It was built in Khuan Tieu area, with simple architecture featuring a small room covered with earth walls and a joss-stick bowl worshipping the God of Land. Next to the communal house is a hundred-year-old banyan tree, creating an ancient beauty for this religious work. The worship of the God of Land is one of the customs of the Nung ethnic minorities in Bac Hoa village.
The intangible culture of the Nung people in Bac Hoa village is also very rich, typically folk singing such as Soong hao singing at the early spring festival, singing at weddings, Sli and luon singing at Thac Luoi market fair, which is often called Thac Luoi love market by locals.
In addition, the "going to the field" festival, also known as the Long Tong Festival in the early spring, is a typical folk cultural activity of the Nung people in Bac Hoa village. Traditionally, the festival is to summarize a year of production and prepare for the new crop.
As a rule, each family in the village prepares a tray of food to bring to the field where the worshiping ritual is held. After the ritual ends, the villagers join folk games and lion dances. Both the ritual and the festive activity reflect the villagers' wishes for good harvest and health. The unique feature is that the beliefs revolve around the agriculture-related factors such as reproduction, water sources, sun and rice.
Other customs and habits of the Nung ethnic people in Bac Hoa village also preserved include ancestor worship, birthday celebration and Then practice ... In the past, Bac Hoa village had traditional crafts such as weaving, indigo dyeing and incense stick making, but nowadays there are only a few households in the village engaging in these traditional handicrafts. These are the heritages bearing the cultural identity of the Nung ethnic group as compared to other ethnic groups in the region.
The local authorities have paid great attention to preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the Nung people in Bac Hoa village. In the near future, this place will become a community tourist destination with many traditional cultural nuances of the Nung ethnic group, attracting tourists from near and far.
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