Attractive national intangible cultural heritage festival

With many traditional festivals recognized as national intangible cultural heritage, Dong Nai is becoming an attractive destination for tourists who want to explore the life, cultural identity and community spirit typical of the Southeast region.

Each festival not only carries the religious values ​​and customs of each ethnic group but also connects generations, contributing to preserving and spreading love for the homeland and pride in the colorful, vibrant and vibrant Dong Nai cultural picture.

Convergence of many unique festivals

Dong Nai currently has 6 festivals listed in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Specifically: Dua tpeng Festival (Breaking the Bau) of the Khmer people in Loc Hung commune, Ba Ra Temple Festival in Phuoc Long ward, Cau Bong Festival of the Kinh people, Ong Pagoda Festival and the death anniversary of Le Thanh Hau Nguyen Huu Canh in Tran Bien ward, Sayangva Festival (worshiping the Rice God) of the Choro people in Dong Nai.

The Management Board of Hung Long communal house relic, Chon Thanh ward, performs a traditional ritual in the Cau Bong Festival of the Kinh people in 2025. Photo: My Ny

In particular, the Dua tpeng (Break the Bau) Festival of the Khmer people in Loc Hung commune was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage under Decision No. 4615/QD-BVHTTDL dated December 20, 2019. The festival takes place in the third lunar month every year and is an occasion for the Khmer people to pray for favorable weather, good crops, a prosperous and happy life. Not only does it have spiritual significance, the festival also demonstrates the culture of harmonious behavior between humans and nature, promoting the spirit of solidarity in the community.

In addition to the solemn ritual, the festival of Dua tpeng takes place bustlingly. When the drums sound, people quickly bring their tools down to the pond to catch fish, while on the shore there are Lam Vong and Lam Thon dances, music, and bustling drums. The festival atmosphere blends colors, sounds, and smiles, creating a joyful and vibrant scene. After harvesting the fish, people grill the fish together, prepare traditional dishes, enjoy them, interact, sing, and express their joy, connection, and gratitude to nature.

At communal houses and temples in the province such as Hung Long communal house, Tan Khai communal house, Thanh An communal house, Suoi Can communal house, Tan Lap Phu communal house, Duc Hoa temple, every year, the Cau Bong Festival of the Kinh people takes place. This festival was born around the second half of the 19th century, the beginning of the 20th century, associated with the formation of communal houses and agricultural production activities of Kinh people living in the old Binh Phuoc province. Along with traditional rituals, the festival part takes place with many activities of singing performances, folk games such as cockfighting, stilt walking, chess playing...

Head of the Management Board of Hung Long communal house relic (in Chon Thanh ward, Dong Nai province) Ngo Tan Bong shared: “The Cau Bong festival is not only an occasion for people to remember and show gratitude to their ancestors who reclaimed land and established villages, but also to express their wishes for a year of favorable weather, bountiful crops, and a prosperous life. Through the festival, today's young generation has the opportunity to better understand their origins and the good traditional cultural values ​​of their ancestors, thereby increasing their love for their homeland and their awareness of preserving and promoting the national cultural identity.”

In addition to the 6 festivals listed in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Dong Nai also has dozens of traditional festivals held annually at relics, communal houses, pagodas, and shrines. These include: Long Tong Festival of the Tay people, Cap Sac Ceremony of the Dao people, Moon Worship Ceremony of the Khmer people, and Chay Festival of the Chinese people...

The Sayangva Festival of the Choro people in Dong Nai was listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2025. The festival takes place from February 15 to April 15 of the lunar calendar in many communes and wards in the province such as Phu Ly commune, Bao Vinh ward, Binh Loc ward... This is the biggest festival of the Choro people, praying for favorable weather, bountiful crops, peaceful life, prosperity and happiness for every family. The festival consists of two parts: the ceremony and the festival. During the festival, the Choro people perform gong performances, tug of war, sack jumping, crossbow shooting, blindfolded piggy bank smashing; enjoy cuisine such as sticky rice, rice wine...

New impetus for cultural tourism

In recent years, traditional festivals of Dong Nai have attracted a large number of people and tourists to attend. Among them, Ong Pagoda Festival and Nguyen Huu Canh's death anniversary in Tran Bien ward are two cultural and religious activities bearing a strong historical mark, closely associated with the formation and development of Dong Nai land. The activities in the festival are solemnly organized, combining traditional rituals and folk art programs, both expressing gratitude to ancestors and introducing and promoting Dong Nai tourism to friends and tourists near and far.

According to the Chairman of the Dong Nai Historical Science Association, Tran Quang Toai, the death anniversary of Lord Nguyen Huu Canh is not only meaningful to the local people but also has an influence on the entire Southern region. Currently, in many provinces and cities in the region, there are places to worship Lord Nguyen Huu Canh. Therefore, the organization of the death anniversary can be expanded, linking between localities to form a series of cultural and tourism events in the region, creating a spreading effect among the people.

Mr. Toai said: The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dong Nai should coordinate with the provinces and cities that worship Duc Ong to organize exchange activities and meetings with the worshiping committees of the communal houses in the death anniversary of Thanh Hau Nguyen Huu Canh. The combination of cultural, historical, ethical and humanistic values ​​in the death anniversary will contribute to creating soft power for culture, promoting tourism development, thereby spreading the image of Dong Nai land.

For many years, Dong Nai has focused on promoting traditional festivals on many digital platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Zalo and websites of departments, branches and localities, helping to bring heritage images closer to the public. The application of digital technology is not only a tool to vividly introduce local culture but also becomes an effective educational channel, arousing pride and awareness of preserving national identity in the young generation. Thanks to digital technology, traditional festivals and intangible cultural heritages have been revived, becoming a driving force for tourism development in Dong Nai.

My Ny

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/van-hoa/202510/hap-dan-le-hoi-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-quoc-gia-f163fb8/