The management and organization of festivals in Song Ma district have undergone many innovations and are becoming increasingly diverse, contributing to creating cohesion within the community and meeting the people's needs for cultural and spiritual enjoyment.
The Harvest Festival in Chiềng Cang commune, Sông Mã district.
Song Ma District is home to many ethnic groups, with the Thai people accounting for over 70% of the district's population. They are mainly concentrated in the communes along the Song Ma River and in the lowlands, such as Muong Hung, Chieng Cang, Chieng Khoong, Chieng Khuong, Chieng So, Nam Ty, Yen Hung, and Na Nghiu. The Mong, Sinh Mun, Kho Mu, and Khang ethnic groups reside in the high mountains and along the border. Also closely associated with this land, since 1975, the Kinh people have come to build and develop the economy, living interspersed along the Song Ma River. In addition, there are some people from the Son La Hydropower resettlement area in some communes of the district. Each ethnic group has its own unique characteristics in customs, traditions, and festivals, creating a diverse and rich culture that is preserved, protected, and promoted by the ethnic communities.
In accordance with Government Decree No. 110/2018/ND-CP dated August 29, 2018, on the management and organization of festivals and commemorations, the District People's Committee has directed and guided communes and towns to annually supplement regulations on implementing civilized lifestyles in weddings, funerals, and festivals into the village and neighborhood conventions and customs. The district has also strengthened the dissemination and understanding of the Law on Cultural Heritage and issued guiding documents on the management of historical sites and the organization of annual festivals; and promoted and encouraged the people to practice civilized lifestyles and civilized behavior in public places.
Mr. Nguyen Chi Chung, Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee, said: From 2023 to the present, at the district level, the district has organized the 70th anniversary celebration of the district's establishment (March 7, 1953 - March 7, 2023); the incense offering ceremony at the Temple of the Two Trung Sisters in Chieng Khuong commune, Kinh ethnic minority, was organized for the first time at the beginning of the new spring in 2024, aiming to educate about patriotic traditions and express the national principle of "drinking water, remembering the source." At the same time, it aims to promote the value of the historical site, creating a highlight and making the site an attractive cultural and spiritual tourism destination for domestic and international visitors. At the commune level, the following festivals have been organized: the New Rice Festival and the Xen Ban Festival in Na Nghiu commune; the incense offering ceremony and boat race in Muong Hung commune; the harvest festival in Chieng Cang commune; and the Gau Tao - Po Pao Festival (outdoor game - throwing pao) in Huoi Mot commune. The festivals are organized on a large scale and in a systematic manner, ensuring the preservation and promotion of the cultural identity of the ethnic groups in the area. This is also an opportunity for the locality to introduce and promote the beauty of ethnic culture, attracting tourists from within and outside the district to visit and experience.
The Harvest Festival of the Thai ethnic group in Chieng Cang commune was held for the first time in early 2024. With a theatrical format, the ceremonies were solemn and concise, expressing the people's wish for good health and a bountiful harvest. The festival part was lively with competitions, folk games, and cultural performances reflecting the ethnic identity. Mr. Lo Van Tuoi, Secretary of the Party branch of Chieng Cang village, said: "Organizing the festival shows the people's reverence for their ancestors and origins, and is also an opportunity to introduce to tourists near and far the customs, traditions, and friendly people of the land, contributing to the promotion of ethnic cultural identity."
In addition, the district has effectively implemented the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage. Currently, the district manages two provincial-level historical and cultural relics: the Temple of the Two Trung Sisters and the Muong Hung Banyan Tree. These relics have been centers of cultural and spiritual life for the local people for generations. They also serve as places for educating the younger generation about the moral values of remembering one's roots and fostering national pride. Currently, the relics and temples are being renovated, with signboards and instructions for performing rituals according to regulations; arrangements are in place to guide and remind people and tourists to maintain environmental hygiene.
The management boards of historical sites and temples will conduct propaganda, inspection, and control to prevent superstitious activities and encroachment on historical sites. The management of donation boxes will be carried out openly and transparently. Specialized forces will increase personnel and resources to guide traffic flow, increase patrols and controls to ensure security, traffic safety, and fire prevention at historical and cultural sites.
Song Ma District continues to promote historical relics, the significance of festivals, and disseminate legal regulations to the people; restore traditional cultural activities and folk games in festivals; improve the effectiveness of festival management and organization, linking it with tourism development, attracting tourists, and promoting the unique traditional cultural features of the locality to a wide audience of people and tourists.
Text and photos: Nguyen Thu
Preserving and promoting the value of traditional festivals (baosonla.org.vn)