Environmental protection at festivals

Preserve and restore traditional festivals

Son La City, the political , economic and cultural center of the province, has over 111,000 people, 12 communes and wards, with 12 ethnic groups living together. In recent years, the city has implemented many solutions to restore and maintain traditional festivals as well as organize new festivals in line with development trends, contributing to promoting the cultural identity of the ethnic groups. The city is imbued with the identity of the ethnic groups of the Northwest sub-region.

2(2).jpg — Ban Flower Festival - spiritual culture of ethnic people in Son La city.

Mr. Tran Cong Chinh, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee, said: The festival is not only a cultural space but also a meeting place, a place for cultural activities of ethnic people, as well as tourists from all over the world when coming to the land and people of Son La. Therefore, the city has restored and maintained the organization of traditional festivals such as: Han Khuong Festival, Xen Muong Festival. Currently, we are aiming to restore the Xen Ban Festival combined with organizing the National Great Unity Day on November 18 and maintain it annually; research to restore and recreate the scenes of some other festivals such as the Rain Praying Festival, the Going to the Field Festival.

At the same time, organize new festivals such as: Spring Festival to offer to Uncle Ho, Ban flower festival, King Le Thai Tong Temple festival, coffee festival..., to meet the needs of enjoyment and cultural activities of people of all ethnic groups in the city.

According to the leader of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, festivals in Son La are mainly folk festivals associated with each ethnic group and each locality, expressing the customs, habits and traditional beliefs of each ethnic group. Therefore, festivals are often small in scale, held periodically, and there are no festivals imported from outside the province. This also creates a unique cultural mark of Son La.

In recent years, the organization and management of festivals in the province have been focused on, ensuring strict compliance with State regulations. Many traditional folk festivals rich in humanity have been collected, restored and organized with a harmonious combination of rituals and festivals, contributing to enriching the spiritual and cultural life of the people, promoting local socio-economic development.

2(3).jpg — The Het Cha Festival of the Thai people in Moc Chau district is restored and preserved.

Raising awareness of environmental protection during festivals

Resolution of the 15th Congress of Son La Provincial Party Committee, term 2020-2025, determined: Building an advanced culture, imbued with national identity, promoting the cultural values of ethnic groups in Son La and the Northwest region, taking cultural development and human development as core factors for socio-economic development.

Implementing the Resolution of the Congress, the Standing Committee of Son La Provincial Party Committee issued Conclusion No. 335-KL/TU dated July 26, 2021 approving the Project on building and developing Son La culture and people to meet the requirements of sustainable development in the period of 2021-2025, with a vision to 2030, aiming to gradually build and develop Son La culture to become an important resource for the goal of sustainable and comprehensive development.

4(1).jpg — Son La - a convergence of 12 ethnic groups with diverse ethnic cultures.

On that basis, all levels, sectors and localities in the province have implemented many synchronous solutions to develop Son La culture and people. In particular, they have focused on building a healthy and civilized cultural environment associated with protecting the ecological environment.

Strengthen propaganda and education on environmental protection. Mobilize people to actively participate in environmental sanitation activities, creating clean and green landscapes on roads and festival areas before, during and after the festival. Resolutely eliminate superstitious elements, bad customs, and strictly handle negative behaviors and violations of the law in organizing festivals.

Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang, Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Son La said: To protect the environment at tourist sites, relics, and festivals, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has coordinated with localities to innovate content, diversify forms of propaganda, and disseminate legal education on environmental protection.

Focus on raising awareness of environmental protection of organizations and individuals, creating a strong change in the actions of people and tourists from the smallest actions such as proactively classifying waste, not using plastic bags and disposable plastic products, not littering, voluntarily complying with legal regulations on environmental protection and preventing plastic waste. Actively participate in responding to the movement of the whole people uniting to build a cultural life, associated with building new rural areas, civilized urban areas, and being friendly to the environment.

3(1).jpg — Son La cares about protecting the environment in festival areas.

In districts and cities, plans have been proactively developed to disseminate environmental protection laws to officials, workers in the tourism industry, and to the community and tourists. Calling for community participation in protecting the environment at tourist attractions and festivals.

Guide tourist areas, historical and cultural relics, festival venues, accommodation establishments and restaurants to collect and classify waste, especially plastic waste, packaging, nylon bags and transport them to recycling and treatment sites according to regulations. Strengthen inspection of environmental protection work before, during and after the festival.

From there, we aim to build awareness of environmental protection, preservation, and proper behavior towards the environment for the goal of sustainable development. Contribute to improving the quality of spiritual life for the people, creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere, encouraging all classes of people to enthusiastically compete, work and produce, promote socio-economic development, ensure political security, social order and safety.

In recent years, Son La has restored 17 festivals associated with the customs, practices and traditional beliefs of ethnic minorities in the area. Notable ones are the Cau Mua festival of the Kho Mu ethnic group in Yen Chau district; the Het Cha festival of the Thai people in Moc Chau district; the Xen Lau No and Han Khuong festivals of the Thai people in Thuan Chau district; the Goi Dau festival of the White Thai people in Quynh Nhai district; the Xip Xi festival of the White Thai people, the Moi festival of the Muong people in Phu Yen district, etc.

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