Ha Van Phoi (sitting inside) in Tan Pheo commune (Da Bac) knows and preserves many traditional cultural values of the Tay ethnic group in the locality.

Ha Van Phoi, who knows many traditional cultural features of the Tay ethnic group, shared that the Lunar New Year is the most important and biggest festival in a year of the Tay people. Their custom of welcoming Tet includes two stages: "het khau mo" which means the new rice celebration, and "het set – het chieng" which means the custom of welcoming the Lunar New Year, and is prepared from the last lunar month. The new rice and Lunar New Year celebrations start in the period from the first to the third day of January. The worshiping part usually has two rites: worshiping ancestors and worshiping the Land Genie and those who govern and look after the place where the family lives, with a hope that the ancestors and genies will help protect the family.

On the morning of the first day of the lunar new year, the Tay people have the custom of waking up early and going to the garden to pick the greenest and freshest leaves to bring home with the belief that they will bring lots of fortune and luck in the new year. Going to a neighbour's house, they will wear white to bring luck and ward off bad luck.

The new rice celebration has been preserved to this day. October is the month of rice harvest, families are happy because the hardships of the between-crop months are over. They use new rice to worship their ancestors.

Ha Van Le, Vice Chairman of the Tan Pheo commune People's Committee, said that the Tay ethnic group accounts for 74% of the commune’s population. The Tay people have many unique cultural features such as their own language and writing, customs and practices during holidays, Tet, weddings and funerals. Their costumes and houses are also made in their own style.

Related Topics

Kim Boi: Cultural life building efforts produce fruitful outcomes

Provincial leader inspects construction site of Mo Muong conservation space

A “fire keeper” of Muong culture

Bringing art to the people in remote and disadvantaged areas

---

Bringing art to remote areas - promoting ethnic culture

Hoa Binh city - Vibrant community activities at cultural houses

Building a cultural conservation area for Muong ethnic group in Luy Ai hamlet

Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district of Hoa Binh province, is widely regarded as the cultural heartland of the Muong ethnic group. Among its many traditional communities, Luy Ai hamlet (formerly Ai hamlet) stands out as a rare location where the customs and way of life of the Muong Bi people remain largely intact.

Truong Kha temple festival celebrates Muong cultural heritage

The Truong Kha temple festival, a distinctive cultural event held every three years in Vu Ban township, Lac Son district, returned recently with vibrant rituals and folk traditions of the Muong people. Located next to the Buoi River in the Muong Trao fields, the Truong Kha Temple is dedicated to the three Kun Dol deities, revered for teaching farming techniques, irrigation, weaving, and protecting the harvest.

Hoa Binh city residents enjoy upgraded cultural houses

The demand for spaces serving community activities of residents in various areas across Hoa Binh city has been satisfied as local cultural houses now feature modern, spacious facilities thanks to the effective implementation of Resolution No. 49/NQ-HDND issued on December 28, 2021 by the city People's Council, which approved the plan for reorganising, converting, and allocating land for the construction, repair, and expansion of cultural houses in Hoa Binh’s villages and residential areas until 2025.

Enhancing cultural and spiritual life in remote and ethnic minority areas

At the end of May, the Hoa Binh Provincial Ethnic Arts Troupe organized a series of performances for residents in Region 2 and Region 3 communes across the province. Bringing art to ethnic communities in remote, isolated, and especially disadvantaged areas has become a meaningful activity. These are not merely artistic performances but also journeys to disseminate cultural values, enrich spiritual life, and contribute to preserving the cultural identity of ethnic minorities.