Ho Ai, an elder in the Bru-Van Kieu ethnic minority group in Truong Son commune, Quang Ninh district, in the central province of Quang Binh, maintains the group’s most unique traditional culture and is therefore known as the preserver of Bru-Van Kieu culture.
Whenever important annual festivals take place, such as the rice growing festival, celebrations for the rice harvest, and funerals, villager Ho Ai is host, calling on local people to take part.
Experiencing two wars and post-war difficulties, Bru-Van Kieu customs were at risk of disappearing. However, the ethnic group were able to preserve their unique arts and folk music.
To preserve their ethnic cultural identity, Quang Binh province has opened classes in Truong Xuan and Truong Sơn communes teaching traditional music of the Bru-Van Kieu ethnic minority group. With proper care and attention from local authorities, people have been actively engaged in building new-style rural areas. Festivals have also been upgraded, and the rice growing festival has been recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage.
The Bru-Van Kieu ethnic minority group have access to electricity, roads, and education, all highlights of their efforts to build a new-style rural area./.
