Forest Festival - a way to preserve forests in Yen Bai

To protect the forest as well as promote the long-standing traditional customs and practices of the H'Mong Na Hau people, every year, people in the commune organize the Forest New Year.

Forest Tet is based on the traditional historical significance and long-standing customs of the H'Mong people with the meaning of thanking heaven and earth, thanking the forest gods, mountain gods, praying for the gods to protect, shelter and help people have a healthy, happy, peaceful life; for trees, livestock, poultry to grow, for the longevity of families along with the immense green of primeval forests.

People in Na Hau commune raise their hands to swear to protect the forest. (Photo: THANH SON).

Forest Tet has existed since the H'Mong Na Hau people migrated here to establish a village, becoming a cultural activity and folk belief, creating a unique cultural nuance here.

Traditionally, Na Hau Forest Festival is held on the last lunar day of January every year.

All three villages of Na Hau commune have a forbidden forest, a sacred forest located in the most beautiful location of the village, converging all the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to worship the forest god.

The opening ceremony is the ceremony of bringing offerings to the forbidden forest. The unique and solemn ceremony takes place in front of the forest gate, under the ancient tamarind tree. The offerings to the forest god include a pair of roosters and hens, a black pig, wine, incense, and paper. The black pig is given to two young men and two young women to bring to the forbidden forest.

Shaman performs a ceremony to worship the forest god. (Photo: THANH SON).

At the auspicious hour, the shaman respectfully offers incense, turns to the four directions, knocks on the wooden fish and prays to invite the gods to witness, enjoy the offerings, bless, and bestow forest blessings on the people, pray for favorable weather, good trees, and bountiful crops...

Then, the shaman and some young men in the commune performed the act of cutting the chicken's and pig's blood, and the chicken's feathers were smeared with blood and stuck to the base of the ancient tree.

After the Forest New Year festival, all three villages of Na Hau commune closed the forest for three days to thank the forest god for protecting and feeding the people for generations.

During this time, everyone absolutely must follow the taboos according to customary law. That is, do not go into the forest to cut down trees, do not bring green leaves from the forest home, do not dig up roots, pick bamboo shoots, do not dig the ground, do not let livestock roam free, do not dry clothes outdoors, do not grind corn, pound rice, etc.

The Na Hau Forest Tet Festival is not only a unique ritual with spiritual meaning to pray for blessings, contributing to the preservation of material and spiritual values ​​in the ethnic community, but also contributes practically to the management and protection of forest resources as well as the protection of the ecological environment, preserving the biodiversity of the Na Hau Nature Reserve in particular and in Van Yen district in general.

Planting trees for tourism. (Photo: THANH SON).

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Van Yen district La Thi Lien said that Na Hau is a particularly difficult commune of Van Yen district, with a natural area of ​​nearly 5,700 hectares, the whole commune has more than 500 households, with nearly 2,300 people, of which the H'Mong ethnic group accounts for 92%.

The commune is located in the core area of ​​the Nature Reserve, with terrain like a giant basin in the middle of the valley, with a very cool climate with an average annual temperature of about 23 degrees Celsius.

Na Hau Nature Reserve is a place that preserves a rich and diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna, with the beauty of deep old forests and primeval forest canopies, giving the Reserve a truly fresh and pure atmosphere and bringing people closer to nature than ever.

This year, the H'Mong people's Forest Tet in Na Hau commune has been upgraded to the district level, with the theme "Unique Forest Tet of the H'Mong people in Na Hau". With its own strengths in nature and people, Na Hau commune is being built by Van Yen district to become a key tourist commune of the district.

People in the commune participate in planting trees. (Photo: THANH SON).

Immediately after the forest worship ceremony, local people together planted 1,200 wind chimes on the commune's roads, contributing to promoting local cultural beauty, developing community tourism, gradually attracting tourists to visit the ecological forest, explore the wonders of waterfalls and caves, enjoy the culinary products of the H'Mong people, creating conditions for economic development, increasing income for local people.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tet-rung-mot-cach-giu-rung-o-yen-bai-post799387.html