Set your heart free in mountainous Hoa Binh

      Even though everyone is hungry after visiting Hoa Binh hydroelectric plant site, tourists follow the tourist guide to watch a performance by Hoa Binh ethnic minority before lunch. It is here that visitors realize that in addition to the natural beauty of mountains and forest of Hoa Binh, the traditional culture of the ethnic performance opened their heart to the land of dream and fantasy.
Hoa Binh is a mountainous province located in the north. It is bordered by Son La in the west, Phu Tho and Ha Tay in the north, Ha Nam and Ninh Binh in the east, and Thanh Hoa in the south. The culture of Hoa Binh combines six minorities with their own languages, traditional literature and festivals.
The stage for the performance is a nha san (house on stilts) in the middle of nature, where visitors feel comfortable sitting on the floor, free from any restricting chairs or benches. The spacious nha san is in harmony with the view of nature, creating the perfect ambiance for the performances of traditional dance and instruments.
There is no time to be introduced, the twelve bright smiles of the performance immediately delight the audience. But what they bring viewers later really take their heart.
The performance begins with a Muong ethnic MC in traditional costume telling a story and beautiful minority girls inviting visitors for a drink of Can wine, a rice wine drunk out of a jar through straws. This is followed by various types of folk music and dance from the mountainous North West, including that of the Muong, H'mong, Dao and Thai minority groups.
The echoing sounds of Cong chieng (Gong) performances make the audience aware of the vast mountains and dense forest of the region, and the performances of dancers and singers with unique traditional instruments make a strong impression.
The most interesting part of the evening is when the spectators were invited to eat trau cau (quid of betel and areca-nut) and blow a khen la (leaf pan-pipe) to call lovers. The khen is a wind instrument consisting of six, twelve or fourteen bamboo tubes arranged close together with one end connected to a wooden sound box. The khen is very popular with various ethnic groups in Vietnam, such as the Thai, the Muong and the H'Mong.
Khen la is a man-made specialty of ethnic minority men to call for love in the mountain and forest background, and the stage becomes livelier and more romantic when their lovers appeared in a dance with blue umbrellas. For those who have not done this before, the two strange but interesting experiences make for an unforgettable moment in their lives.
The last part of the program is the nhay sap (bamboo pole dance) is which audiences could join performers. The atmosphere is exhilarating and many visitors also take this opportunity to take pictures with the gorgeous performers to remember the eventful afternoon.
The trip to Hoa Binh Province will stay forever in the memory of those who hear the sounds of the gong and khen la, taste and smell the trau cau and Can wine and take part in the nhay sap performance. The traditional culture of the province ethnic minorities has been successfully integrated to tourism activities.
For more information, contact Hoa Binh Tourism Company. Tel: 0218.854374. Fax: 84.18.854372.