Artworks made from pebbles attracted a large audience at the New Rice Festival in Ngoc Chien commune.

New Rice FestivalThe Ngoc Chien commune festival in 2024 includes both a ceremonial and a festive part.

The ceremony included the offering of new rice at Don Ho Church in Muong Chien village and Sa Mu Tree God Church in Na Tau village.

The shaman performs rituals to express gratitude to ancestors and the heavens, praying for favorable weather, abundant harvests, a prosperous and fulfilling life, and a thriving and happy nation.

After the ceremony at the ancestral temple, households prepare the new rice offering ceremony at home. Depending on each family's circumstances, they may invite guests to join in the celebration.

After the ceremony concludes, the host invites guests to share a celebratory drink over a jar of rice wine, wishing each other good fortune.

Leaders of Ngoc Chien commune perform the ritual of offering new rice at Don Ho Church, Muong Chien village.

This year, the festival's entertainment section attracted thousands of people, including tourists from within and outside the province. Particularly noteworthy was the cultural performance competition themed "Ngoc Chien's New Rice Season," featuring artists and performing groups from 15 villages in Ngoc Chien commune, which drew a large audience.

Comrade Bui Tien Sy, Secretary of the Party Committee of Ngoc Chien commune, said: This is the 7th year that Ngoc Chien commune has organized the New Rice Festival during the rice harvest season at the end of August and beginning of September. This is an opportunity for the commune to restore, preserve, maintain and promote the good traditional cultural values ​​of the ethnic minorities; to encourage people to build a cultural life and expand the area specializing in growing glutinous rice.

Fishing and pounding rice cakes are contests at the New Rice Festival in Ngoc Chien commune, Muong La district.

Organizing the New Rice Festival also contributes to promoting and showcasing the potential and cultural identity of the ethnic groups in Muong La district in general, and the unique culture of the people of Ngoc Chien commune in particular, attracting tourists from inside and outside Son La province to experience, enjoy, seek investment opportunities, exchange, cooperate, develop, and integrate deeply.

Within the framework of the New Rice Festival in Ngoc Chien commune, folk games were recreated, and sports competitions were held, such as: snake-eating-frog competition, tiger-eating-pig competition, men's and women's football, cultural performances, rice flake making competition, fishing competition, culinary competition, stilt walking competition, and balance beam walking competition…

This year, Ngoc Chien commune organized a competition showcasing traditional ethnic costumes and the beauty of the girls from the fairytale land of Ngoc Chien.

In particular, during this year's New Rice Festival,Ngoc Chien communeThey also organized a competition for creating and decorating paintings using pebbles from Chien Stream, and a competition showcasing traditional ethnic costumes and the beauty of girls from fairytale lands with the theme "The Charm of Fairytale Land".

Set to melodies inspired by folk songs of the ethnic groups in the Northwest region, 42 contestants representing 15 villages showcased beautiful ethnic costumes, meeting the criteria of traditional attire and reflecting the rich cultural identity of the ethnic groups in Ngoc Chien commune.

The competition aims to honor the value of traditional ethnic costumes, the beauty of the girls from the fairytale land, to awaken the beauty in culture, aspirations, national pride, and to promote the values ​​and sense of self-reliance and self-improvement of the people of Ngoc Chien ethnic groups.

The women's football competitions and the "Buffalo Prince" selection contest also attracted a large number of participants.

The cultural and artistic activities organized by Ngoc Chien commune on the occasion of National Day, September 2nd, have contributed to encouraging the people's spirit in building a cultural life and expanding the area specializing in growing glutinous rice.

This is also an opportunity for Son La province to strengthen the promotion and introduction of the potential and cultural identity of the ethnic groups in Muong La district in general, and the unique culture of the ethnic groups in Ngoc Chien commune in particular, to tourists from inside and outside Son La province to experience, enjoy, seek investment opportunities, exchange, cooperate, develop and integrate deeply.

QUOC TUAN