Festival season in the highlands of Thai Nguyen

In recent days, more than 37 highland communes in the northern part of Thai Nguyen province have been bustling with a series of lively festivals to celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Horse. Although the scale of organization in some areas has changed after the merger, all the festivals have still maintained their unique cultural identity.

Performing rituals to pray for peace and a good harvest at the Slam Chiêm festival in Hiep Luc commune. (Photo: HA THANH)

On the evening of March 1st, Cho Don commune enthusiastically held the opening ceremony of the Cho Don Safe Zone Spring Festival. Previously, this spring festival was organized at the district level, associated with the Cho Don Safe Zone. Although no longer at the district level, Cho Don commune continues to maintain the festival at the commune level with many unique and attractive activities.

Ms. Hoang Thi Thuy from Bach Thong commune arrived early at the festival to watch the opening ceremony. She excitedly said: "I was born and raised in Cho Don commune, and now I'm married and living in Bach Thong commune, but I always come back to attend the Cho Don Safe Zone Festival. Especially this year, I and everyone else got to hear the famous singer Anh Tho perform live, a singer we've only ever seen on television."

Cultural performances at the Cho Don Safe Zone festival on the evening of March 1st. (Photo: NONG DUONG)

On March 2nd, the ATK Cho Don Spring Festival held a procession of offerings and lucky trays, performing rituals to pray for a good harvest, favorable weather, and abundant crops.

The festival includes activities such as throwing the ball, wrapping banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes); and folk games, such as: O An Quan (a traditional board game), land boat racing, leather volleyball, crossbow shooting, stilt walking, sack racing, spinning top, and kite flying…

Visitors to the festival can also experience traditional cultural spaces, the "ATK Cho Don Tea" space, digital transformation spaces; and displays and introductions of OCOP products.

From the 7th of this month until now, a series of joyful festivals celebrating the Lunar New Year of the Horse have been held in almost all 37 highland communes in the northern part of Thai Nguyen province. Among them, the most unique is the Lồng Tồng (going down to the fields) festival in Ha Vi, Cam Giang commune, with rituals associated with a legend.

According to legend, an official of the ancient court, wounded in battle, rested in Na Pha village. When the official passed away, the villagers erected a shrine to worship him, considering him the village's guardian deity. The shrine was entrusted to the Ma family of the village for safekeeping. The villagers hold ceremonies on the 11th day of the first lunar month and the 13th day of the seventh lunar month every year.

Traditionally, after the Lunar New Year celebrations, the head of the Ma clan – the clan that oversees the Na Pha temple – would go around to the rice-growing families to encourage them to prepare a large feast to bring to the temple around 9:00 AM on the 11th day of the first lunar month for the offering ceremony. Afterward, they would carry it to the fields where the festival was held to light incense and pray for a new year of favorable weather, abundant harvests; good health and prosperity for everyone; and for friends and relatives from near and far to happily participate in the festival and start their new year's endeavors successfully.

The Noc Niec dance performance at the Ha Vi Long Tong festival, Cam Giang commune. (Photo: THU CUC)

A captivating and unique performance in the Lồng Tồng festival is the Nộc Niệc (Phoenix) dance, reenacting the legend of the creation of the earth and water. The people use the image of the Nộc Niệc, or the earth phoenix (one of the four sacred animals: Dragon, Kylin, Turtle, Phoenix), to symbolize a ritual welcoming the gods to bless and protect the new year, ensuring prosperity and happiness for all. During the dance, the dancers lift and swing a red-painted wooden bird with a long, pointed beak, bobbing and swaying to the rhythm of the cymbals played by the dancers.

The largest of the spring festivals in the northern communes of Thai Nguyen is the Long Tong Ba Be festival. The festival includes a prayer ceremony at An Ma Temple; a procession of offerings, and incense burning to pray for a bountiful harvest and a prosperous life.

According to Nguyen Duc Dung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ba Be Commune, the Ba Be Long Tong Festival has been included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. The festival is a traditional cultural activity, and also an occasion to pray for favorable weather, abundant harvests, and a prosperous and happy life for the people.

A new festival, held for the first time in the newly established commune in northern Thai Nguyen, is the Slam Chiem Festival, taking place on the 8th day of the first lunar month in Hiep Luc commune. The main rituals performed at the festival are prayers for peace and a bountiful harvest. The highlight of the festival is the bowl dance performance, featuring 200 performers, artisans, and members of the public.

According to the Chairman of the People's Committee of Nguyen Thai Hoang commune, the spring festival with the theme "Spring Comes to Slam Chiem Grassland" aims to concretize the Party Committee's policy on developing tourism associated with Slam Chiem, a place with many beautiful landscapes and great potential for community tourism and ecotourism.

Bowl dance with the participation of 200 amateur performers at the Slam Chiêm festival, Hiep Luc commune. (Photo: HA THANH)

Besides the festivals mentioned above, the 37 northern communes of Thai Nguyen also have other spring festivals with their own traditions and characteristics, such as: Mu La Festival in Cao Minh commune, Phu Thong Festival in Phu Thong commune, Ban Pjoo Festival in Na Ri commune…

Among these, the Phu Thong Festival, associated with the legend of a general of the Duong family who helped the people fight the enemy and died in battle, and is worshipped at the Slan Slanh Temple here, will be held on the 20th day of the first lunar month. The final festival in the northern communes of Thai Nguyen at the beginning of the year is the Xuan Duong Love Market in Xuan Duong commune, which takes place on the 25th day of the third lunar month.

However, some festivals in the newly established communes are quite similar, lacking unique features and distinctiveness in terms of organization. Unfavorable weather also affects the quality of the organization. The fact that many spring festivals are held in the communes but their forms and content are not significantly different, and are not linked to specific legends, is also a drawback.

Nevertheless, it can be said that almost all 37 newly established communes in the north of Thai Nguyen province have maintained, strengthened, and continued to organize safe, economical, and culturally distinctive festivals to celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Horse. This contributes to creating a joyful atmosphere and a spirit of enthusiasm for entering the new year and striving to achieve many new accomplishments.

TUAN SON

Source: https://nhandan.vn/mua-le-hoi-tren-vung-cao-thai-nguyen-post945623.html