Traditional festivals - unique tourism products in Meo Vac

BHG - Meo Vac is a mountainous district, home to 17 ethnic groups, of which the Mong people account for more than 78%, the rest are Lo Lo, Tay, Nung, Dao, Giay... Each ethnic group has its own traditional culture, customs and practices, creating a unique regional identity. One of the unique cultural beauties of the people here is the traditional festivals. Typical examples include: Phong Luu Khau Vai Market Festival, Gau Tao Festival of the Mong people, Ban Vuong Festival of the Dao people, village washing and rain praying festivals of the Lo Lo people, and drum dancing festivals of the Giay people.

BHG - Meo Vac is a mountainous district, home to 17 ethnic groups, of which the Mong people account for more than 78%, the rest are Lo Lo, Tay, Nung, Dao, Giay... Each ethnic group has its own traditional culture, customs and practices, creating a unique regional identity. One of the unique cultural beauties of the people here is the traditional festivals. Typical examples include: Phong Luu Khau Vai Market Festival, Gau Tao Festival of the Mong people, Ban Vuong Festival of the Dao people, village washing and rain praying festivals of the Lo Lo people, and drum dancing festivals of the Giay people.

With the view of taking culture as a resource for tourism development, creating unique and attractive products, in recent years, Meo Vac district has paid attention to preserving, restoring and organizing traditional festivals. On average, every year, the district holds 2-3 district-level festivals, 5-7 commune-level festivals and a number of festivals in villages. In fact, organizing and maintaining traditional festivals in Meo Vac district not only contributes to preserving intangible cultural heritage but also opens up great potential for developing cultural and festival tourism - an attractive form that increasingly attracts domestic and foreign tourists. Through unique rituals, folk art activities, traditional games and spaces imbued with national identity, visitors can deeply experience the spiritual life of the local community.

Offering to the Ong and Ba temples at the Phong Luu Khau Vai Market in 2025. Photo: Tran Ke

Recently, from April 22 to 24, Meo Vac district organized the Phong Luu Khau Vai Market Festival in 2025. This is one of the most unique and attractive traditional festivals in the Stone Plateau. The festival originated from the Phong Luu Khau Vai market with a history of more than 100 years ago. The festival has 2 parts, including the ceremony and the festival. In the ceremony, spiritual activities took place, offering incense to the Ong temple and the Ba temple to commemorate two legendary characters, Ba and Ut - a symbol of loyal love, overcoming social barriers; at the same time praying for favorable weather, good harvests, and family happiness. In particular, in the festival, there were a series of attractive activities such as: Folk art exchange, ethnic sports competitions, Mong flute dance performances, and traditional culinary experiences.

Sharing her feelings after attending the Phong Luu Khau Vai Market Festival, Ms. Tran Huyen Trang, a tourist from Hanoi, said: “I have heard a lot about the love market, but this is the first time I have experienced it directly. The first impression is that the atmosphere is very special, both bustling and profound. I was moved when witnessing the incense offering ceremony at Ong Temple and Ba Temple, clearly feeling the sacredness in the love beliefs of the people here. Not only was I able to immerse myself in the festival atmosphere, I also enjoyed Mong flute dances, interacted with the locals and tried traditional dishes. This trip left me with many beautiful emotions, and I will definitely return to Meo Vac during the festival season next year.”

A large number of tourists come to the Khau Vai Love Market Festival (Meo Vac). Photo: PV

To sustainably preserve traditional festivals, Meo Vac district has implemented many synchronous solutions. In particular, the district has strengthened the management and organization of festivals; conducted inventories and documentation of traditional festivals associated with each ethnic group and locality to build a rich cultural database. In addition, the district has also issued directives on the preservation, restoration and promotion of traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic groups; and promoted the implementation of civilized lifestyles in weddings, funerals and festivals.

In addition, Meo Vac district also pays attention to investing in building cultural institutions; investing in and upgrading community cultural tourism villages; mobilizing the participation of artisans and prestigious people in the community to teach rituals, customs, practices, and folk games to the younger generation. At the same time, integrating festivals with tourism activities, mobilizing the participation of people in organizing and serving tourists, thereby creating livelihoods from indigenous cultural values.

It can be said that with efforts to preserve and promote the value of traditional festivals, Meo Vac district has not only preserved its national cultural identity but also created a driving force for socio-economic development. In fact, in recent years, the number of tourists to the district has continuously increased; in the first quarter of 2025 alone, the whole district welcomed more than 121,000 visitors, reaching 183% compared to the same period in 2024. This is a positive signal for the district to strive to welcome 540,000 visitors in 2025.

TRAN KE

Source: https://baohagiang.vn/van-hoa/202505/le-hoi-truyen-thong-san-pham-du-lich-doc-dao-o-meo-vac-96b6fcd/