Woman works to inspire love for Muong ethnic culture among local children

Her classes have attracted the great interest and enthusiastic participation of children of various ages, from elementary to high school students.

Born in a village on the poetic Boi River, Muong culture has kept growing like a natural flow in Dung’s heart since she was a little girl. Her childhood was immersed in the beautiful language, costumes, and lullabies of the Muong ethnic group.

When she grew up, she joined the army’s art troupe. During the period of time serving the army, she established herself as an outstanding soldier in studying and following President Ho Chi Minh’s example.

After her discharge from the army, she returned to her hometown where she worked at the district’s cultural office until her retirement.

Dung shared that she was born into a family with rich revolutionary tradition, and she has 44-year Party membership.

With a great passion to Muong ethnic culture, she wanted to share a helping hand in preserving and promoting the ancestors’ cultural identities.

Dinh Thi Kieu Dung teaching Muong folk songs to local children at her free class.

Therefore, she came up with the idea of opening a class to teach Muong culture to local children, helping them to learn folk songs and dances of their ethnic group and inspiring their pride of their origin.

Dung said that to keep children engaged in the class, it is important to draw their interest in participating in the class, then inspire their love for their ethnic group, their cultural identity, and the homeland.

Quach Ngoc Linh, who has attended Dung’s class for two years, said that under Dung’s instruction, she has learned to play gongs and a lot of Muong ethnic folk songs and dances.

She expressed her hope that the class will attract more local children so that they can understand more about their ancestors’ culture, thus joining hands to preserve and uphold the beauty of their ethnic culture.

Dung’s efforts to keep Muong ethnic cultural identities alive have been praised and recognised by the local people.

They held that in the flow of the market economy, the Muong ethnic identity is in danger of being lost, thus preservation of traditional culture is an urgent task.

At Dung’s class, she not only teaches children the songs, dances, and musical instruments of the Muong people but also encourages them to learn more about the roots, culture and history of their ethnic group.

In addition to providing free classes for local children in Kim Boi District, Dung has also received invitations to popularise Muong ethnic culture in other districts in the province.

To date, she has taught more than 500 people through her training courses and has contributed to opening dozens of clubs on playing Muong ethnic gongs both inside and outside Kim Boi District.

Now, at the age of 64, she is still passionate to revitalise Muong ethnic cultural identities and spread them to younger generation.

With her tireless dedication to the culture of her ethnic group, Dung has received many certificates of merit from central to local levels. She is appreciated as an exemplary model of studying and following President Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality, and lifestyle.