Early Tet celebration in the highlands

These days, the Tet atmosphere isn't yet clearly visible in the city streets, but it has already reached the remote highland villages. The breath of spring, with its abundance, warmth, and hope, permeates every kitchen and home. The highlands are adorned with a new look: the roads to the villages are more bustling, laughter and chatter fill the pre-Tet markets, the smell of cooking smoke mingles with the frost, corn is piled high in the attics, and children eagerly await the arrival of spring. Tet in the highlands is not just about the arrival of time, with new meals and new clothes, but also about the Tet of hope and the fruits of labor in villages striving to escape poverty sustainably.

Mr. Cheng Di Sun's family happily celebrated the Lunar New Year in their new home.

Early spring in the Hmong village

The Hmong people make up the majority of the population of Tuyen Quang province. Unlike other ethnic groups, the Hmong New Year is celebrated earlier. From the beginning of November in the lunar calendar, the atmosphere of preparation for the New Year is already bustling throughout the villages. To this day, celebrating the New Year early has become one of the unique and distinctive cultural features of the Hmong people.

When the Hmong people stop working, rest, and prepare for Tet (Lunar New Year), these days the villages are brilliantly beautiful. It's a harmonious blend of the blossoming flowers of spring and the vibrant colors of the traditional clothing worn by young men and women as they go out to celebrate Tet and enjoy the spring festivities. The Hmong Tet is deeply rooted in their spiritual beliefs and intertwined with folk festivals. Among them, the Gau Tao festival is considered the largest festival of the Hmong people. It's a way to thank their ancestors for a bountiful harvest and successful livestock farming. In addition, the songs, flute melodies, and folk games of Tet are indispensable. They all join together in the lively sounds of spring, forgetting the hardships of the past year, leaving only joy and happiness.

A life of warmth and prosperity in the village.

Nestled amidst jagged mountains, Lao Xa village in Sa Phin commune has 117 households with 726 inhabitants, mainly of the Mong ethnic group, whose economy is based on agricultural production. In 2025, based on the Party and State's policies and guidelines supporting the economic development of ethnic minorities, the local Party committee and government have concretized these through specific programs and plans; creating conditions for people to access capital and scientific and technical advancements in production. The villagers have demonstrated a strong spirit of solidarity, overcoming difficulties and striving for economic development; 100% of children of school age attend school. Currently, the village has only 10 poor households; average and well-off households account for over 90%.

These days, the family of Mr. Vang Mi Hong in Lao Xa village is busy preparing to welcome the New Year with a more joyful and prosperous spirit than last year. The happiness is evident on the faces of each family member. Mr. Hong shared: “My family runs a community tourism business , and this year the number of visitors to the village is quite high, bringing stable income to my family as well as many other villagers. This year, I will prepare everything thoroughly so that my children can have a complete and happy New Year celebration.”

Lao Xa is also one of the villages with good tourism potential in Sa Phin commune in particular, and in the Dong Van Karst Plateau region in general. From Lao Xa, it's easy to see a very new Mong village that still retains its traditional features, taking cultural preservation as the foundation for development. The village focuses on community tourism but still maintains its traditional houses with earthen walls and yin-yang tiled roofs; traditional costumes are preserved by the women. On the first day of the new spring, people organize folk games, play the khene (a traditional wind instrument), cook men men (a type of corn porridge), and share a cup of rice wine. Prosperity and warmth are evident in Lao Xa!

The people of Lao Xa village, Sa Phin commune, are busy preparing to celebrate Tet.

Peaceful border, people live in security.

Ban Thang is a border village of Tung Vai commune. Security and order in the area are always maintained, the lives of the people are improved and enhanced, cadres, Party members and people in the village trust in the leadership of the Party, and the great national unity is firmly strengthened.

On the first day of 2026, the family of Mr. Cheng Di Sun, from Ban Thang village, Tung Vai commune, rejoiced in their new home. The house was built with the support of the Tung Vai Border Guard Post, providing 60 million VND, along with the family's savings accumulated over almost their entire lives. Mr. Sun's dream of building a spacious house has now come true. Mr. Sun shared: “I’ve spent my whole life farming, saving every penny, but I never dared to imagine I could build such a sturdy house. With a new house, Tet (Lunar New Year) feels even more joyful and warm, without the worry of rain or wind; my family can also work and produce with peace of mind, ensuring a more stable life in our homeland.”

According to Comrade Nguyen Xuan Hanh, Secretary of the Party Branch of Ban Thang village: In recent years, alongside mobilizing the people to develop the economy, village officials have also coordinated with officers and soldiers of the Tung Vai Border Guard Post to promote awareness among the people about border protection. The people understand that a peaceful border is essential for their own well-being and prosperity, so they always join hands with the Border Guard forces in the effort to firmly protect national sovereignty and territory. Every meter of the border and every border marker is being held firm.

Today, the highlands and border regions are strongly developing, drawing on their own internal strength and the people-pleasing policies and guidelines of the Party, State, and local authorities. In the biting cold of winter, in the courtyards, baskets of golden corn, marking the end of a harvest season, bring joy to the farmers, their eyes reflecting peace of mind as they look towards the new year. Amidst the towering mountains, abundance is a testament to the ever-changing lives in the still-difficult highland villages of the province. Here, the cold cannot overshadow the warmth of prosperity and hope.

My Ly

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/xa-hoi/202601/tet-som-tren-non-cao-da573e6/