The water carrying competition is one of the interesting activities at the 3rd "Golden Color by the Nam Luong River" Folk Culture Festival in 2025 in Bao Yen district. The competition is not only a fun activity but also has profound spiritual and cultural significance for the Tay people.
Báo Lào Cai•01/05/2025
Location of the water carrying competition. 13 teams from villages and hamlets of Nghia Do commune started the water carrying competition. The teams compete to get water from Ban Hoc waterfall. After a long journey, the pure water is brought back to the starting point to calculate the results. The water after being brought back will be boiled with leaves, plants, and roots (traditional medicine) to make drinks to treat guests.
The teams also brought many types of traditional medicine taken from their gardens and mountains to introduce and promote at the contest. The red flag with yellow star carefully planted in the middle of the contest table is a beautiful image with great meaning on April 30. The Tay girl carefully prepared the ingredients for her team's table to present.
Tay women excitedly display and decorate their team's tea table. Presentation contest on water table of the competing teams.
The cups and glasses of fragrant, delicious, and useful water are cooked by the locals and sent to guests from afar as a message of good things, peace, and luck.
Carrying water is a traditional ritual, often taking place at the beginning of the new year, showing respect for nature and the desire for a peaceful and lucky life. The Tay people believe that water is the source of life, a symbol of abundance and never running out. The custom of carrying water at the beginning of the year is recreated through the water carrying competition, which also contains these sacred meanings.
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