Amateur actors rehearse for the opening ceremony of the Quỳnh Nhai District Culture, Sports and Tourism Week 2025.

The festival begins with the "Lung Ta" (hair-washing festival), held annually on the 30th day of the 12th lunar month. This traditional festival has been preserved by the Thai people of this area for generations to commemorate the contributions of Lady Han, a talented female general who helped defeat invaders and secure the borders of her homeland. For many years, the hair-washing festival has been maintained and organized at the district level in Quynh Nhai, attracting locals and tourists from all over to participate.

Immediately after the Lunar New Year, the district mobilized its forces to complete all preparations, ready for the 2025 Culture, Sports and Tourism Week. Ms. Dieu Thi Nhat, Head of the District's Culture and Information Department, said: The 2025 Quynh Nhai District Culture, Sports and Tourism Week will take place from February 7-9 with many exciting activities. In addition to maintaining the traditional boat racing festival, there will also be attractive cultural and sports activities... A new feature of this year's event is the first-ever Rice Flower Festival by the River, which will include activities to recreate and perform traditional festivals and characteristic intangible cultural heritage of the district. At the same time, there will be a competition showcasing ethnic costumes and new sports in an expanded format.

Quynh Nhai District preserves the beautiful traditional culture of the Thai ethnic group.

The highlight of the event is the Opening Ceremony held on the evening of February 7th, featuring a spectacular artistic program themed "Quynh Nhai - Shining with Heritage." Alongside this, the 2025 Quynh Nhai Traditional Boat Racing Festival will take place, with the participation of racing teams from 11 communes and towns in the district, as well as teams from Muong La district and Muong Lay town (Dien Bien province), with nearly 500 athletes, promising exciting competitions on the river for the audience.

Alongside these activities, there will be exhibitions of beautiful photographs, competitions in traditional food preparation, displays of ethnic culture, performances of ethnic costumes, sports competitions, experiences of folk games, and sightseeing tours around the lake… Performances of Thai Xoe dance; reenactments of the Kin Pang Then festival and the wrist-tying ritual of the Thai people; reconstructions of the Pang A ceremony of the La Ha people and the Xe Pang A festival of the Khang people; and performances of traditional folk songs and dances of various ethnic groups…

Mr. Luong Van Bua, Chairman of the People's Committee of Muong Giang town, informed: Since the main activities of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Week take place within the town's boundaries, from the beginning of 2025, the commune has been raising awareness among residents about environmental protection, maintaining a clean and beautiful landscape, and actively cooperating in supporting the preparations for the event. At the same time, they are urgently practicing and preparing to participate in sports competitions, boat races, performances, and exhibitions of ethnic cultural spaces within the framework of the event.

Traditional folk art performances are held to entertain tourists.

Visiting Quynh Nhai in early spring offers not only fascinating festivals but also a spiritual tourism destination chosen by visitors to admire the scenery and pray for peace at the beginning of the year. The Quynh Nhai district's cultural and spiritual tourism area is gradually being completed with the Nang Han Temple, Linh Son Thuy Tu Temple, and the statue of the Bodhisattva Quan Am… Along with the picturesque natural scenery of rivers and lakes, this is what attracts tourists to Quynh Nhai in the early days of the new spring, combining exploration, experience, and learning about the unique culture of the lake region, and immersing themselves in the vibrant atmosphere of the biggest event of the year – the Quynh Nhai District Culture, Sports and Tourism Week.

The traditional rice wine festival of the Khang ethnic group in Quynh Nhai district.

Ms. Luong Thi Duyen, Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee, said: The Culture, Sports and Tourism Week is an annual event maintained by the district to introduce and promote the potential and strengths of lake tourism, the unique culture of ethnic groups in the riverine region; to honor traditional cultural values, contributing to raising awareness among ethnic communities about the responsibility of preserving and promoting traditional culture. This is also an opportunity to promote trade, introduce and connect the consumption of local agricultural and aquatic products, and OCOP products, and promote the development of tourism in the district. Preparations for the event have been completed, and Quynh Nhai is ready to organize the Culture, Sports and Tourism Week with vibrant activities to welcome visitors.

Reviving the Kin Pang Then festival of the White Thai people for tourism purposes.

With the vibrant spring festival, Quynh Nhai has been effectively exploiting the beauty of traditional ethnic culture, linking it with the development of cultural and spiritual tourism and lake-area tourism, gradually building unique and distinctive tourism products characteristic of the riverine region, helping the district's tourism develop in the right direction and sustainably.

The hair-washing festival of the White Thai people in Quynh Nhai district.

Source: Son La Newspaper