The first Tet of the Ha Nhi people in Thu Lum commune after the merger

(laichau.gov.vn) This year's traditional New Year of the Ha Nhi people in Thu Lum commune takes place on the occasion of the art of xoe and "Xa nha ca" performance of the Ha Nhi community in Lai Chau being recognized as a national intangible heritage. Even happier is that on New Year's Eve, people in all villages gather together for a communal reunion meal.

The traditional New Year of the Ha Nhi ethnic group in Thu Lum commune has a unique cultural identity.

Unlike many other ethnic groups, the traditional New Year of the Ha Nhi people in Thu Lum commune ( Lai Chau ) takes place earlier, without a fixed date; usually in November of the solar calendar, the time when the Ha Nhi people believe they can rest after a year of hard work.

This is the first year after the merger, the Ha Nhi people in the new Thu Lum commune (Thu Lum commune was merged from Ka Lang commune and the old Thu Lum commune) celebrated the traditional New Year with a communal meal with 116 trays of food. The traditional New Year is a happy occasion, this year is happier because the Ha Nhi people received a certificate of intangible cultural heritage for the art of "Xoe Ha Nhi" and the performance of "Xa nha ca"; at the same time, for the first time, people of 16 villages of the commune organized a reunion meal at the commune center.

People prepare food for a communal meal at the commune center.

Mr. Ly Long Ca, a resident of Go Kha village, shared that his family and villagers were very happy. In addition to each family's own Tet like every year, this year there was also a communal Tet for the whole commune. In addition to the villagers, there were also many brothers and friends from other places who came to join the meal. Everyone was very interested in the traditional Tet and the traditional culture of our people; it was truly an opportunity for the Ha Nhi cultural identity to spread widely, for everyone to know.

Thu Lum is the upstream area of ​​the Da River, where the Ha Nhi people live. The traditional New Year of the Ha Nhi people is an occasion for families to gather, for descendants to remember their ancestors; for the community to look back on the past year and look forward to the new year with faith and hope. Traditional rituals, colorful costumes, dances, songs and dishes rich in identity have created a unique cultural picture and profound human feelings.

Traditional New Year community meal of the Ha Nhi people in Thu Lum.

Ms. Ly Chuy Xo, a native of Me Giong village (Thu Lum commune), married a man in Luc Xuan district (Yunnan province, China). This year, after 14 years away from home, Ms. Xo returned home to celebrate Tet. Ms. Xo was very surprised because her hometown had changed so much. The dirt road where she followed her husband to a foreign land had been replaced by a wide concrete road, and her mother's house, which was a rammed earth house, had also been replaced by a spacious house built on a concrete foundation. Ms. Xo emotionally shared: "When I first returned to the village, I no longer recognized my village; the village center on Tet was as crowded as the city. My family on the other side is also Ha Nhi, and also has a traditional ethnic Tet like ours; but Tet is only celebrated internally within the family and within the village, not as bustling and crowded as the whole commune going out to celebrate Tet like in my hometown...

Tourists excitedly took pictures with the locals.

For the Ha Nhi people, Tet is an occasion to praise, preserve, teach and spread the quintessence of national culture. Good traditional values ​​are continued through generations; bustling xoè dance, the soulful epic "Xa Nha Ca", rituals, costumes, cuisine , language and customs... contribute to creating the unique Ha Nhi cultural soul for the land in the far west of the Fatherland.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thoi, a tourist from Hung Yen, shared his feelings: “I had heard from friends about the customs and cultural identity of Lai Chau ethnic groups, but I did not expect it to be so rich. I happened to come here during the traditional New Year of the Ha Nhi people. I was impressed that they have preserved the epic poem of thousands of sentences passed down through many generations, the dances, xoe dances and beautiful women's costumes. I took many photos and will definitely come back to explore more about the people, culture and landscape here.”

The traditional culture of the Ha Nhi people in Thu Lum is very unique and distinctive.

Mr. Le Thanh Tam - Chairman of Thu Lum Commune People's Committee said: We have met and agreed with the villages on organizing a common New Year's Day one day before the traditional New Year of the people. The purpose is to maximize the traditional cultural identity and build great national unity in the commune. At the same time, we hope that people and tourists from all over the world, when coming to Thu Lum, can participate in the traditional New Year's Eve with the people. Thereby, widely promoting the image, culture, tradition as well as the land and people of Thu Lum to the whole country. With the determination and efforts of the local government, it is hoped that in the near future, Thu Lum will be an ideal destination for people, tourists and investors.

Updated on November 7, 2025

Source: https://laichau.gov.vn/du-khach/van-hoa-le-hoi/tet-dau-tien-cua-nguoi-ha-nhi-xa-thu-lum-sau-sap-nhap.html