(HBO) – Keeng Loong dance is an integral part of the life of Thai people in the northern mountainous district of Mai Chau, which is performed in festivals like new rice festival, Xen ban, Cha chieng and Lunar New Year festival.


Keeng Loong dance – a special cultural identity of the Thai group in Mai Chau district.

"Loong” is a pestle made from good timber to create big sounds. Large, straight trees are selected and cut into pieces whose sizes are decided by artisans. Keeng Loong has its origin in the daily life of Thai people in Mai Chau. For Thai women, rice pounding is their daily job, during which they often create pleasant sounds with the pestles that would help to dispel sadness and worries. Over time, it has gradually become an art performed during festivals, including new rice festival and wedding. Combined with gongs, drums and bamboo sticks, it forms a joyful atmosphere. The number of Keeng Long players depends on Loong’s size and the festival context.

Nowadays, local families no longer use Loong to pound rice, but Loong has always been a close friend in their spiritual life. Thai people dance Keeng Long when they are sad, and also when they are happy like when moving to a new house or in the great national unity festival. Its sounds can lure people to join festivals no matter what they are doing and wherever they are.

Currently, in all Thai villages in Mai Chau district, Keeng Loong is used to welcome tourists, becoming a traditional cultural identity. Therefore, the preservation and promotion of the dance's intangible cultural value is very necessary, contributing to meeting cultural needs of people.

The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recently coordinated with the Bureau of Culture and Sports of Mai Chau district to organise a symposium on Keeng Loong.

The workshop brought together artisans from Tong Dau, Na Phon, Mai Chau town and Chieng Chau commune. They highlighted the cultural, scientific, historical and artistic values of Keeng Loong and contributed ideas to complete a dossier to be submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, seeking recognition of Keeng Long as national intangible cultural heritage. They also proposed orientations and solutions to preserve and promote values of Keeng Loong.



Related Topics


The traditional festival of Thuong Bong Lai Temple

From March 10th – 11th, the People's Committee of Cao Phong town (Cao Phong) coordinated with the Relics Management Board to organize the traditional festival of Thuong Bong Lai Temple in 2024.

Unique Tien Pagoda festival in Lac Thuy

As spring comes, people in Phu Nghia commune in particular and Lac Thuy district in general flock to Tien Pagoda festival to enjoy festive activities during the annual event.

The Special Khai Ha fesstival of Muong ethnic minority in Hoa Binh province

Khai Ha festival is a long-standing traditional folk festival with the largest scale of Muong people in Hoa Binh province. In 2022, Khai Ha fesstival the Muong minority in Hoa Binh province was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In 2023 and 2024, the festival was held on the provincial scale, getting together 4 major Muong regions (Bi, Vang, Thang, Dong) to participate, and it has been an opportunity for the quintessence of Muong ethnic culture to converge and shine.

Excellent artisan spreads love for national cultural heritage values

With a great passion for national art, outstanding artisan Nguyen Manh Tuan in Voi area, Ba Hang Doi town in Lac Thuy district, has developed and promoted a Muong ethnic cultural space with over 2,000 artifacts which are familiar in the daily life in the Muong ethnic people.

Tan Lac district preserves Muong ethnic group’s cultural identities

Along with the process of integration and development, traditional cultural identities of the Muong ethnic community in general, and Muong ethnic people in Tan Lac district in particular, are at risk of falling into oblivion. Therefore, many clubs have been established in the locality to preserve and promote the beauty of the ethnic group’s cultural identities.

Swing festival – unique cultural tradition of Muong people in Lac Son

Held every three years, the swing festival in Muong Voi, Vu Ban town in Lac Son district is "one-of-a-kind". From the 5th to the 7th day of the first lunar month in the Year of the Dragon, thousands of residents and tourists flocked to the locality to experience the unique cultural festival.