Discover the "Mountain Trip" festival.

Taking place after the traditional Mong New Year, the Gau Tao Festival in Pa Co commune is a popular destination attracting numerous domestic and international tourists to explore its unique cultural space and experience its distinctive recreational activities.

The young men performed the distinctive Hmong flute dance on the main stage of the Gau Tao Festival in Pa Co commune.

The Gầu Tào Festival, also known as the "Mountain Excursion" Festival, is simply understood as a spring festival held amidst nature. According to Hmong legend, the festival originated from the custom of couples struggling with infertility seeking children. They would often go to high hills to pray to the mountain and hill spirits for blessings, then hold a thanksgiving ceremony and share their joy with the community. Over time, the Gầu Tào Festival has become a sacred ritual, an indispensable part of the cultural and spiritual life of the Hmong people.

The ceremony of offering sacrifices to the ceremonial pole is conducted solemnly and respectfully, marking the beginning of the Gầu Tào festival activities.

Within the Hmong community in Vietnam, the Hmong people in Pa Co commune belong to two different branches: Black Hmong (Mong Du) and Flower Hmong (Mong Lenh). They live concentrated in 11 out of 18 hamlets and villages, accounting for approximately 65% ​​of the commune's total population.

According to the elders, the Hmong people migrated to Pa Co in several waves from Tuyen Quang, Yen Bai, and Lai Chau provinces between the 15th and 19th centuries. In their chosen homeland, the Hmong community of Pa Co has united to build a vibrant cultural life, focusing on exploiting the potential and strengths of its majestic natural landscape and cultural identity to create jobs, increase income, and contribute to the preservation and promotion of their ethnic cultural heritage.

The Hmong dance festival attracts the participation of the Hmong community and a large number of tourists.

After decades of restoration and annual organization, the Gầu Tào Festival in Pà Cò commune has become a community activity deeply rooted in the beliefs, spirituality, and unique traditional culture of the ethnic minority people. It is an opportunity for the Hmong community of Pà Cò to express gratitude to the mountain gods, forest gods, stream gods, village gods, and community gods; to pray for blessings, prosperity, health, favorable weather, peace in the village, abundant harvests, and to convey their best wishes for the new year.

Showcasing pao throwing skills - a unique folk game of the Hmong people.

The 2026 Gầu Tào Festival of the Mong ethnic group in Pà Cò commune will take place at the community center of Xà Lính village's stadium. A ceremonial pole is erected between heaven and earth as a sacred symbol, representing the harmony between heaven and earth, between humans and deities and ancestors.

In the traditional festival, the ritual of offering sacrifices to the ceremonial pole is the most important part, marking the beginning and being conducted according to traditional customs. The shaman, along with representatives of the family and clan, performs a ceremony inviting heaven and earth, spirits, and ancestors: “High heaven, thick earth/Mountain spirits, forest spirits, stream spirits/Village spirits, village spirits/Sacred spirits of the ancestors/Come and witness the sincerity of your descendants/This ceremonial pole is erected/To connect heaven and earth, the clan with ancestors/To call for blessings, prosperity, and good fortune to the village/To drive away illness, calamities, poverty, and evil..." At the end of the ceremony, after the drums are sounded, the Hmong community and visitors from near and far enthusiastically join in the festivities, dancing the xòe dance interspersed with the khene flute dances of the artisans.

Experience the art of beeswax painting in a traditional festival setting.

The atmosphere is lively as the rice cake pounding competition takes place among the hamlets and villages of Pà Cò commune.

The "Mountain Excursion" festival is an opportunity for those who have left their hometowns to return to their villages, celebrate the New Year, begin a new production season, and participate in cultural and artistic activities rich in local identity, folk games, where Hmong men showcase their talents in playing the khene (a traditional Hmong flute) and girls demonstrate their pao throwing skills. Tourists can learn about customs, cultural beauty, and discover delicious cuisine .

Ms. Nguyen Thao Linh, a tourist from Hanoi, happily shared: "I witnessed a very vibrant festival and was captivated by the dazzling beauty of the Hmong costumes, the warm welcome from the people, and the interesting activities like pounding rice cakes and beeswax painting."

Foreign tourists enjoy experiencing cultural exchange activities at the Gau Tao Festival of the Mong ethnic group in Pa Co commune.

Comrade Tran Van Truyen, Chairman of the People's Committee of Pa Co commune, said: The Gau Tao Festival contributes to promoting the sports training movement, becoming a traditional activity; raising awareness of preserving and promoting cultural values ​​associated with tourism development in the Mong ethnic community in Pa Co. The festival also aims to promote local culture; a meaningful and practical activity to celebrate the Party, the Spring Festival, and the country's renewal.

Bui Minh

Source: https://baophutho.vn/kham-pha-le-hoi-di-choi-nui-247253.htm