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Tet of dancing of the Dao Do
Time: From the 1st to the 2nd day of the first lunar month.
Place: Ta Phin Commune, Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province.
Objects of worship: Deities, ancestors.
Characteristics: Dancing (14 styles of dance), bathing ancestor's statues.
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Three big families of Ly, Ban, Trieu arranged Tet of dancing at the head of the family?s house. The main ceremony is the dances which are performed by small group of young boys and girls. There are many dance styles which are described the contexts of ancestor angel go down the earth to attend the Tet with offspring. After the dance ceremony is an ancestor?s statues procession and bathing ancestor?s statues ceremony. Next to it is a dance of offering red and yellow cocks... The flag dance is the end of the festival. |
Thuong Temple Spring Festival
Time: 11th to the 15th day of the first lunar month.
Place: Lao Cai City, Lao Cai Province.
Objects of worship: Tran Hung Dao.
Characteristics: A palanquin procession, tug of war contest, wrestling contest, and còn throwing, sticks pushing, no (arbalest) shooting.
| Thuong Temple is located on the Hoa Hieu Hill, Lao Cai City, dedicated to Tran Hung Dao - the famous general of Tran Dynasty. He commanded the Dai Viet troops defensive in Lao Cai in 1257. The spring festival is organized at the cutural center of Lao Cai Ward and Thuong and Mau Temples. The ceremonies include the opening festival, processions of the Holy Mother and Thien hau Nuong; worshipping ceremony takes place on the 14th day, thanksgiving ceremony is on the 15th day to pray for peaceful and prosperous things to everyone. It involves traditional singing and dancing performances and mountainous ethnic games: con throwing, arbalest shooting, tug of war, stick pushing, wrestle, cocks fighting, swinging... The spring festival is alco displayed brocade souvernirs, local goods which are made by girls of the Mong, the Dao, the Thai... |
“Going to the field” or Long tong Festival of the Giay
Time: The thin day of the first lunar month.
Place: Ta Van Commune, Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province.
Objects of worship: The Heaven, the Earth, the God of rice.
Characteristics: Praying for good crop festival.
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Every year, on the thin day of the first lunar month, the Giay in Sa Pa organize their special festival. The worship ceremony is held at ngo hours (12 o'clock at midnoon). The sorcerer wears blue dress, offer sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, God of rice, pray for Spirits in protecting crops, and having a good crop.
After the worshipping ceremony, villagers take part in traditional games such as bow-shooting, cross-bow shooting, horse racing, con throwing, tug of rope, stick pushing. |
Long Tong Festival
Time: Early in spring, often from the 5th to the 15th day of the first lunar month.
Place: In the village, in the field, near the stream.
Objects of worship: Village gods, Mountain and Stream gods.
Characteristics: Traditional belief and the cult of fecundity.
Participators: The Tay people and other ethnic groups.
Contents: Praying for all the good things, con throwing, xoe dancing.
On the night before the festival takes place, the representatives of families in the village and sorcerer perform a water procession from the stream to the village. This water is used in the opening ceremony of the festival.
The villagers erect an U-shaped altar from bamboo. The bottom of the letter U faces the east. The altar is one meter high and 40 centimeter wide.
The offerings of the village are placed on the altar, which include a bowl of water, a plate of red sticky rice, a plate of yellow sticky rice (the red one symbolizes the sun and the yellow one symbolizes the moon), a boiled chicken, grilled fish, a bowl of boiled chicken blood, a sharp knife, a roll of newly-woven cloth, two yellow paper fish, two red paper owls, two racemes of flowers made from parched rice and fruits. The offerings of the families and of the newcomers are also put on the altar. These offerings only include food without a bowl of water, a knife and a dish of chicken's blood.
The opening ceremony begins as a roll of gong beats resounds. The sorcerer performs the rituals to pray for lushly green rice with firm grains, good animal husbandry and good health to everybody. The sorcerer holds the bowl of water in one hand, and the knife in the other hand. He moves the knife four times above the water bowl and draw horizontal and vertical lines according to four directions of the east, west, south and north. When the sorcerer finishes the rites at the altar, he continues to conduct the rituals at con tree (a tall bamboo pole). After he says his prayers, he tosses two con balls into the air so that young men compete to catch them. Anyone who catches a ball first will be the first to take part in the game. Participants have to throw the ball through the bamboo ring. Successful competitor is the one whose ball pierces through the sheet paper covering the bamboo ring. The winner receives a prize. The sorcerer slashes the ball open, and mixes the seeds inside the ball with a basket of paddy and distributes them to everybody.
After the con throwing game are tug of war and xoe dance, which lasts until the afternoon.
Long Tong Festival is a unique cultural activity of the Tay ethnic group in North Vietnam. |
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