(HBO) - Through many ups and downs of history, Khai ha (going down to the field) festival has been preserved by the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh province, becoming their indispensable cultural and religious activity every spring. joining the festival, locals wish for a peaceful and prosperous life.


 Khai ha festival was promoted at a special art programme in 2022 when the province received certificates recognising bamboo calendar and the festival as national intangible heritage.

Talking about the cultural value of the Khai ha festival, Luu Huy Linh, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the heritage reflects, preserves and disseminates the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group, and demonstrates admiration and veneration of the god who set up the Muong land. The festival also aims to strengthening community cohesion, and is a spiritual and cultural activity reminding younger generations of the tradition of the ethnic group.

Today, Khai ha is one of the most pervasive festivals that have a great influence on the spiritual life of the Muong ethnic group. In 2022, with many efforts of the province, this festival was recognised as national intangible cultural heritage.

The festival, also dubbed as the ploughing or forest opening festival, has connection with the wet rice cultivation which carries a sign of civilisation of the ancient Vietnamese. Khai ha in each Muong region takes place at different times and places./.


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.