The New Rice Festival: From cultural heritage to a driving force for mountain tourism development.

In July 2025, the New Rice Festival of the Co Tu ethnic group in Nam Dong, Long Quang, and Khe Tre communes, Hue City, will be inscribed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Specifically, at Decision No. 2293/QD-BVHTTDL of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognizes “Bhuôih Haro Tơme – The New Rice Festival of the Co Tu ethnic group in Nam Dong commune, Long Quang commune, Khe Tre commune, Hue City” as a national intangible cultural heritage belonging to the category of traditional festivals, social customs and beliefs.

Traditional dances are performed at the New Rice Festival of the Co Tu ethnic group in Nam Dong, Long Quang, and Khe Tre communes, Hue City.

The inclusion of the New Rice Festival in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list demonstrates the State's appreciation and recognition of the unique cultural heritage of the Co Tu ethnic minority community in the Nam Dong region – a land rich in tradition, playing an important role in the mountainous cultural identity of Hue City.

Mr. Le Nhu Suu, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Dong commune, said: "Implementing Project 6 on 'Preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development,' the locality has implemented many activities, including focusing on surveying and researching typical traditional festivals in localities to exploit and build products to serve tourism development."

At the same time, the commune prioritizes the preservation of traditional festivals at risk of disappearing and typical festivals in order to exploit and develop tourism products in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. In 2024, the locality implemented the collection and restoration of the original New Rice Festival of the Co Tu people, as well as solutions to promote this festival and develop an attractive tourist destination in the mountainous areas of the district.

The New Rice Harvest Festival has been maintained for generations in villages inhabited by the Co Tu ethnic group. While there have been variations over time and in different localities, the basic rituals remain largely unchanged. The festival begins with Co Tu girls threshing rice from the early morning. With skillful hands and diligent effort, they harvest baskets of golden ripe rice, symbolizing a bountiful harvest for the villagers.

In the communal house of the village, everyone, from young to old, wore traditional clothing to participate in the ceremony. The village elders and respected figures were performing the rituals of worshiping the spirits.

The village elders prepare offerings to the spirits during the New Rice Festival of the Co Tu people.

The Co Tu people prepare a lavish offering tray to celebrate the new rice harvest, including items such as: pork, chicken, sticky rice, rice cooked in bamboo tubes, dried green fish, grilled fish, various foods produced by the people, rice wine... Especially indispensable are the Zèng fabric, agate threads, white beads, and various types of jewelry made by the people.

The New Rice Festival is a very important ritual in the life of the Co Tu ethnic people in the Nam Dong region. It expresses reverence for the deities who have protected them, brought them stable lives, and ensured their villages receive favorable weather and bountiful harvests.

According to the elders, since ancient times, rice has always been closely associated with the lives of the Co Tu people, linked to the mountains, forests, and fields. However, due to difficult farming conditions, the people here have always longed for a life of abundance, and that is why the Rice Harvest Festival came into existence.

During the New Rice Festival, many typical cultural traditions of the Co Tu people are also showcased, such as the traditional Tung Tung Da Da dance, gong performances, and the ritual dance of buffalo sacrifice with a symbolic buffalo made of foam (instead of a real buffalo as in previous years)... Through the festival, the Co Tu people also convey the message of working together to preserve and maintain their cultural identity within the community and promote their unique characteristics to tourists.

Currently, the mountainous communes of Nam Dong district are developing community-based tourism destinations linked to the exploitation and promotion of the cultural values of ethnic minorities, such as: community-based tourism in Doi village, ecotourism at Mo waterfall (Khe Tre commune)...

Preserving the New Rice Festival of the Co Tu ethnic group, as well as preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the highland people, contributes to introducing and attracting tourists to experience it. In particular, the community tourism destination in Doi village is considered a model for developing tourism linked to the culture of the Co Tu ethnic group in Hue.

Recreating the New Rice Festival of the Co Tu people in Nam Dong, Long Quang, and Khe Tre communes, Hue City.

According to the People's Committee of Khe Tre commune, community tourism in Doi village has yielded positive results, making a significant contribution to the socio-economic development of the locality. Currently, Doi village attracts an average of 15,000 tourists per year, of which more than 5,000 are overnight visitors, with an average revenue of over 5 billion VND per year.

This model is not just about numbers; it also carries profound humanitarian significance. Currently, more than 20 households in the village are directly involved in community tourism activities. This not only contributes to preserving and promoting the cultural values of the Co Tu people but also creates jobs with stable incomes for the local people.

According to the Hue City Department of Culture and Sports, in 2024, the Department spearheaded the implementation of activities to build models for preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities in conjunction with tourism development in the communes of the South Dong region.

This included the development of a cultural preservation model for the Co Tu people, encompassing aspects such as: surveying, investigating, compiling statistics, and gathering information to build the model; hiring research experts and consultants to support research and model development; providing supplies, materials, tools, and documents for the model; organizing training on methods and skills for building and replicating the models; conducting experiments with the models; and disseminating information and promoting the model.

Through this, artisans, village elders, respected individuals, and the Co Tu ethnic community, as well as folk art clubs and groups in villages, and tourism businesses and enterprises, can access and benefit from these activities.

Currently, in the ethnic minority and mountainous areas of Hue City, 100% of villages have community centers, and more than 50% of villages have traditional cultural and artistic groups (clubs) that operate regularly.

Source: https://danviet.vn/le-hoi-mung-lua-moi-tu-di-san-van-hoa-den-dong-luc-phat-trien-du-lich-mien-nui-d1384316.html