Nghe An contestant wins championship at 'Tet Mong Xuong Pho 2023'

Starting in 2016, the Mong community in Hanoi organized the event "Mong Tet in the streets" to create a space to enjoy the Mong Tet festival, and for the whole community to learn about good cultural values, promoting Mong culture to the public in the capital and throughout the country.

Cu Thi Bao Chau was crowned the champion of the 2023 Mong Xuong Pho Festival.

After a year of interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event "Tet Mong on the street 2023" returned with great excitement on New Year's Day at the Linh Dam Urban Cultural House with more than 3,000 attendees. Sharing about this year's event, Phang Thi Khia - Head of the Organizing Committee, a 4th-year female student, Mong from Yen Chau (Son La) said: "During the implementation process, we came up with many topics for members to discuss. In particular, the topic of traditional costumes was nominated twice because from practical observations, it was seen that today's young people too easily accept modernized costumes without taking the time to learn about the identity of traditional costumes full of art and humanity. Each region has its own cultural features and Mong students need to be responsible for preserving those cultural values".

Every year, “Tet Mong rai pho” will choose a main topic to guide young people and the whole community to learn creatively about Mong culture. One year it is about the topic “Should the traditional Tet calendar of the Mong people be changed or not?”; another year it is about the topic “Keo khong de” to talk about the “wife pulling” custom of the Mong people. This year, the topic that the young Mong people decided to discuss and make the main content of the event is about Mong costumes. Designer Sa Binh - CEO of Hmong Tagkis Co., Ltd. - speaker at the fashion seminar shared: "Never before have Mong costumes been as diverse and complex as they are today because of the interest of many different parties in the costumes and patterns of the Mong people. This is a good time for all of us to look at the good values ​​of these costumes and what young Mong people can do to preserve and develop their own culture together".

Contestant Cu Thi Bao Chau, Ky Son, Nghe An with her talent performance.

At this year's event, the Hmong Student Association of Nghe An province in Hanoi excelled in the final round and received the Encouragement Prize in the individual and group performance competition. Notably, contestant Cu Thi Bao Chau from Ky Son district, Nghe An province excelled in receiving the Champion of the male and female contest (Tub Ntxhais Vam Meej) at "Tet Mong rai pho 2023". This award was established to honor the most outstanding young Hmong people through the competition of artistic talent and behavior related to Hmong cultural issues.

Sharing her motivation for participating in the contest, Bao Chau said: “When I was in 10th grade, I saw some fellow countrymen participating in the contest and having the opportunity to show their talents on stage, in front of many Mong audiences, and also having the opportunity to learn more about Mong culture, so I was determined that if I passed the university entrance exam in Hanoi, I would participate in the contest. As a first-year student, I also encountered many difficulties because I did not have the means to practice, did not have much experience and acquaintances to learn from. But after passing the qualifying round, I was lucky to have my sister's full support to participate in the final round”. Bao Chau hopes to bring the beauty of Mong Nghe An costumes to the stage for Mong people and people across the country to know.

“Tet Mong rai pho” not only attracts Mong people in Hanoi but has gradually become a community event for Mong people across Vietnam. Giang Seo Tinh from Bac Ha (Lao Cai) brought his wife and children to attend Tet and shared: “I feel very proud that young Mong people can organize such big events. My child is at the age of learning to speak, I hope he will learn good cultural values ​​and have a healthy playground, that is why I brought my children to play at the event.”

"Tet Mong rai pho 2023" has come to an end, but continues to open up plans and opportunities for developing ethnic culture in the future, as shared by the representative of the Organizing Committee: "Although there are always many difficulties when the Organizing Committee is made up of young Mong people, most of whom are students and have to earn money to live in the city while worrying about studying, but with the love of ethnic culture, we believe that the event "Tet Mong rai pho" will always be maintained so that all of us have more opportunities to understand more about our own ethnic culture. We also hope that in the coming years, there will be more Tet of the Dao, Thai, Muong people... so that we can all welcome the unique Tet of our own ethnic group".

The art troupe of the Mong student association of Nghe An province in Hanoi performed at the Mong Tet rai pho 2023.

It is people like Bao Chau who will be the next generation to organize “Tet Mong Xuong Pho”. Phang Thi Khia - Head of the Organizing Committee of “Tet Mong Xuong Pho” this year is the Champion of 2019, and Chau also takes that as a model for her future: “In the more distant future, I want to become a teacher in the highlands to join hands to preserve, pass on and promote diverse cultural values ​​for the younger generation. In the immediate future, I will commit to participating in the preparation process of organizing the next “Tet Mong Xuong Pho” events to create a playground and space for other young people to learn about culture”.

Pay attention to educating the young generation about revolutionary ideals and the desire to join the Party while still in school.