In Dak Lak, home to about 16,000 Muong people, Mo Muong has been inscribed in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

With a well-prepared tray of traditional offerings, Quach Thi Hoa Phuong respectfully invites a shaman to represent her family in conducting the ancestral death ceremony at her home in Hoa Thang commune, Buon Ma Thuot city.

Phuong shared that the Muong community migrated from Hoa Binh in the north to Dak Lak province more than 50 years ago. In their new settlement, they have maintained and passed down their cultural traditions to their children. One tradition is inviting a shaman to perform rituals to pray for peace and good health.

"On ceremonial days and the ancestors’ death anniversaries, we invite a shaman to perform the rituals properly. The shaman invites the spirits of the ancestors to join the ceremony and enjoy a meal," Phuong said.

The shamans perform a kind of ritual chanting called Mo. Mo chants contain rhythmic verses taken from ancient tales, legends, myths, and epics. They reflect history and offer explanations for natural and social phenomena.

Shamans must memorize tens of thousands of Mo verses and master multiple rituals, customs, and traditions.

Shaman Bui Van Minh said Mo is performed for families during ceremonies such as funerals, naming ceremonies, housewarming ceremonies, and weddings. “All Muong branches have their own shamans. Each Muong district or locality has its own version of Mo chants. New Year rituals and seasonal ceremonies also vary.”

There are about 16,000 Muong people living several districts and Buon Ma Thuot city in Dak Lak province. Despite this sizeable population, there are only six shamans capable of performing all the Mo Muong rituals.

In February last year, the social practices and beliefs of Mo Muong in Dak Lak were inscribed in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

“I’m very proud to be recognized by the State as a Mo Muong shaman. For many years I’ve performed rituals like the curse-breaking ceremony, the new crop ceremony, the housewarming ceremony, and weddings. It great that these practices are now officially recognized, showing the State's deep respect for the Muong people,” shaman Bui Van Thanh noted.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mo Muong currently exists in seven provinces and cities. Since 2022, Dak Lak has collaborated with the Vietnam National Academy of Music and other provinces with the Mo Muong heritage to prepare a national dossier for submission to UNESCO, seeking inscription in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritages in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

“The next step is to film the most typical and complete Mo ceremonies in Dak Lak province. The work will be handled by the advisory agency, the Academy of Music, while local authorities will be in charge of heritage inventory work,” Dr. Pham Minh Huong, Director of the Vietnam National Academy of Music, said.

The recognition of Mo Muong as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage is a source of pride for the Muong community, and an encouragement for Dak Lak to continue preserving and promoting its distinctive cultural values within the rich cultural mosaic of the Central Highlands.

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