Traveling nearly 80km from Dien Bien Phu city, we made our way up to Huoi Leng village, Huoi Leng commune, Muong Cha district, to celebrate the Lunar New Year. This is the chosen location for the 2024 Lunar New Year festival, a joint event of four communes in Muong Cha district: Sa Long, Huoi Leng, Sa Tong, and Hua Ngai. From early morning on the 4th day of the Lunar New Year, the first day of the festival, crowds of people flocked to the venue. Everyone's faces were radiant in the early spring sunshine of the highlands. Young men and women, dressed in vibrant traditional costumes with unique patterns, added to the joyful and lively atmosphere of the festival.
Pao throwing is the most popular game among the Hmong people during the spring festival. Pao throwing is a way for the Hmong to express their feelings to each other; depending on their age, they choose their own playing partners. Most young men and women who come here hope to find a partner through the pao game.
The spring festival also features many traditional folk games, such as spinning tops, crossbow shooting, stick pushing, tug-of-war, and unique cultural performances. In this highland region, every game attracts a large number of participants, regardless of gender or age, and is cheered on by many spectators. In the corner of the spinning top game area, a large crowd stands watching, all enjoying the spinning tops and the firm, decisive spins. Among the players is Mr. Sung A Lau, 75 years old (Ma Lu Thang village, Huoi Leng commune), whose gray hair still enthusiastically and skillfully plays, leaving a special impression on many viewers. His spins and spins are still strong and accurate, earning the admiration of many young people who follow each match closely.
When they are tired, those who have been out enjoying the spring festivities rest on rocky outcrops under blossoming peach and plum trees, or beside hillsides covered in golden rapeseed flowers. There, young Hmong men and women chat and express their feelings to each other through the melodious sounds of leaf flutes. Outside, sun umbrellas peek out and spin shyly… The sound of the flutes and laughter echo throughout the village.
According to Ly A The, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Huoi Leng commune, the spring festival has become a unique cultural feature of the Mong people in Muong Cha district at the beginning of the new year. Previously, the spring festival was organized separately in each commune. In the last two years, communes with large Mong populations in Muong Cha district have coordinated to organize a centralized spring festival at one location: Huoi Leng village, Huoi Leng commune. Specifically, in 2023, the spring festival included three communes: Huoi Leng, Hua Ngai, and Sa Long; in 2024, Sa Tong commune was added, and it is expected that in the coming years, the spring festival will include the participation of two more communes: Huoi Mi and Ma Thi Ho. Because it is concentrated in one place, people flock here to participate in cultural, artistic, and sports activities, creating a more vibrant atmosphere and attracting a large number of people to participate and cheer enthusiastically.
To serve the local people, more than 60 small bamboo huts covered with straw or tarpaulin were erected by small traders along the hillside where the festival was held to provide food and refreshments for those coming to celebrate the spring festival. Local Party committees and authorities also facilitated the people's enjoyment of the spring festival, such as installing sound systems, loudspeakers, and radios to serve cultural performances and announce the games and competitions organized at the festival.
Besides the local people, many tourists from within and outside Muong Cha district also came here to join in the spring festival. The lively atmosphere and the friendly hospitality of the people made visitors reluctant to leave. Mr. Nguyen Duc Cuong, a tourist from Dien Bien Phu City and a photography enthusiast, said: "This is my first time visiting Muong Cha during the spring festival. Here, I was able to participate in folk games, admire the unique ethnic costumes, and learn more about the Mong ethnic culture. I took many beautiful photos thanks to this trip."
This year, the Hmong spring festival in Muong Cha takes place from the 4th to the 9th of January, with the peak period from the 4th to the 7th of January. The spring festival is a meaningful activity at the beginning of the new year, aiming to create a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere for people to start working and producing in the new year; at the same time, it contributes to preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the local ethnic groups.
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