Local ethnic people enjoy an improved life of culture and spirit

Over the past year, Binh Duong province-based ethnic people's life has showed encouraging results, thanks to the Party's leadership, attention of mass bodies and agencies and energy of ethnic people. A steady life of economy has contributed to improve ethnic minority groups' cultural and spiritual life. Thenceforth, Binh Duong has become a locality with diversification of cultural identity. Economy stabilized and developed Visiting localities where have many ethnic minority groups in Phu Giao district's An Binh commune, Dau Tieng district's Minh Hoa commune and so on, we will witness a great change of rural image. Cottages of yore have been presently changed into spacious houses and concrete roads have been spread entries of local ethnic households. Most of the local ethnic households have had motorbikes and even cars. As of 2013, the total ethnic households living separately in 91 out of 91 communes, wards and townships in the province was at more than 4,500 with more than 17,000 residents, accounting for nearly 1% of population of the whole of the province. Of these, ethnic minority groups such as Chinese, Khmer, Tay, Nung, Cham accounted for the biggest quantity. They have mainly lived in 6 districts and townships such as Dau Tieng, Phu Giao, Tan Uyen, North Tan Uyen, Bau Bang and Ben Cat. Ethnic groups have in Thu Dau Mot city lived on manufacturing pottery, trade, service while other groups in Binh Duong's north region have lived on agricultural production or worked as rubber workers. In addition, some of them are cadres, public servants and teachers. Their living standard has been improved significantly. With assistance of authority plus determination of making wealth on the new land, many ethnic minority households have become good farmers in production and business with good models bringing huge income. Specifically, from models of farming and breeding, Thach Thi Ngoc in Dau Tieng district has enjoyed a VND2.5bil income per year, Kho Sanh in the same district, Nguu Dien in Phu Giao and Kim My in Ben Cat have also enjoyed more than VND100mil per year. Kho Sanh, Khmer ethnic person in Dau Tieng district revealed "In my homeland in Soc Trang province, our life was very difficult. In order to escape poverty, we arrived in Binh Duong where is considered a promised land. Initially, we grew orchards and then transferred to plant rubber trees. At present, Cham ethnic group's life in Binh Duong province has been stabilized". To bring a steady life for ethnic minority groups, the provincial administration granted cultivation land and assisted seedlings and opened training courses on agricultural promotion for them. The provincial ethnic minority department Le Dinh Ngoc said that the whole of the province has no longer poverty households in line with the central poverty line. In order to bring a steady life for local ethnic minority groups, the local administration has over the past time expedited effectively assistance policies of mother cow breeding, forest transfer, cultivation land granting and preferential loan offering for them. Cultural identity preserved On the 5th anniversary of implementing Decision No.1668/QD-TTg dated Nov. 17, 2008 on "Cultural day of Vietnamese ethnic minority groups" (April 19, 2009-2014), the local administration has focused on preservation of cultural identity by disseminating cultural identity preservation to local ethnic minority groups. Simultaneously, the provincial authority has linked preservation of national culture identity with local emulation, culture and art movements. Especially, the mobilizations of all people unite to build a cultural life and preserve and uphold national cultural identity have been launched widely in residential areas and attracted many significantly results. Many districts have set up art and sport teams for ethnic minority groups. In addition, the work on cultural preservation has been showed through contests and ethnic sport festivals such as tug of war, pentaque and among others. Along with efforts of local authorities, ethnic minority groups have made the effort to preserve their cultural identity. At Minh Hoa in Dau Tieng where gathers many Cham ethnic people are aware of preserving voice, costume, belief. Khmer ethnic people in Phu Giao district often wear their traditional costume on holidays while San Chi ethnic people in Tam Lap commune, Phu Giao district annually hold the national festive day on the 6th day of the first lunar month. Tay ethnic group makes effort to preserve voice for the next generation. Kim Minh Thanh, the ethnic Khmer person said "living with Kinh people, Khmer ethnic group's children forget their cultural identity. Therefore, old people must set an example by preserving cultural values, playing musical instruments or cooking traditional dishes. Aside from preserving and upholding intangible cultural values, the work on preserving and promoting intangible cultural values has been concentrated effectively. Ngo Bao Quoc, director of the provincial Museum said that at present, the museum has collected and preserved custom, belief, musical instruments and costumes and so on. Particularly, training, fostering and developing human resources in localities gathering many ethnic minority groups have been focused on. Besides, the local administration has focused on recruiting children of ethnic minority groups to foster human resources for localities. Accordingly, more than 60 ethnic students at universities and colleges have enjoyed assistance of tuition. At present, many ethnic graduates have enjoyed jobs at their localities.                                                                                                    Reported by T.Ly - Translated by A.C