The Xen Dong Festival of the Thai people in Nghia Lo is a National Cultural Heritage.

(CLO) The Xen Dong Festival is one of the typical social and religious customs of the Thai people, passed down and preserved by the Thai community in the Muong Lo basin for many generations.

On the evening of December 21, the People's Committee of Nghia Lo town, Yen Bai province held a ceremony to announce the Decision and award the Certificate of National Intangible Cultural Heritage for the Xen Dong Festival of the Thai people in Nghia Lo town.

At the ceremony, authorized by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism , Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage Nong Quoc Thanh presented the Certificate to Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Yen Bai province Nong Viet Yen.

Leaders of the Department of Cultural Heritage and Yen Bai province presented the Certificate of National Intangible Cultural Heritage to the Xen Dong Festival of the Thai people in Nghia Lo town. Photo: VNA

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Luong Manh Ha, Vice Chairman of Nghia Lo Town People's Committee, said that the recognition of the Xen Dong Festival as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage will contribute to spreading the traditional cultural values of the Thai people, a place to practice and directly transmit the cultural capital of the community, spreading the message of protecting forests and protecting the living environment.

Nghia Lo town commits to implementing practical activities to promote and practice this heritage by stepping up propaganda and promotion of the Xen Dong Festival associated with developing community cultural tourism , contributing to making Nghia Lo an attractive destination.

At the same time, continue to support and create conditions for Thai people to organize and teach festivals, preserve traditional rituals; promote the role of the community in preserving and protecting heritage, especially the young generation, so that this cultural beauty is passed down forever.

Xen Dong Festival (in Thai, "xen" means offering, "dong" means forest; "xen dong" means offering to the forest) - one of the typical social and religious customs of the Thai people in the western region of Yen Bai province, has been passed down and preserved by the Thai ethnic community in the Muong Lo basin area from ancient times to the present.

Every spring, Thai villages eagerly hold many festivals, including the Xen Dong festival, to worship the Forest God, praying for the gods to bless and protect the community for a year of peace, health, good crops, a prosperous life, and happiness for every family.

The Xen Dong Festival includes a ceremony and a festival with folk performing arts such as xoe dance, hat xap, bamboo dance, musical instrument performances and traditional folk games of the Thai people in Muong Lo area, Nghia Lo town.

Shamans perform the Xen Dong ceremony under the ancient banyan tree. Photo: T.Chi

For the Thai ethnic group in the Muong Lo basin, forest protection, especially upstream forests, is of special importance and has become a beautiful custom of the village, considered the responsibility of every Thai resident for generations.

The Xen Dong festival is a social custom and belief with profound humanity and philosophy, expressing the genuine aspirations of ethnic communities who always want to rise up in life. The heritage converges typical values of history, culture - society, science, art, aesthetics, education not only for the cultural subject but also for the surrounding communities in terms of tradition and humanistic meaning.

T.Toan

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/cong-bo-le-xen-dong-cua-nguoi-thai-o-nghia-lo-la-di-san-van-hoa-quoc-gia-post326839.html