The northernmost province of Ha Giang recently had two traditional ceremonies in Hoang Su Phi district inscribed on the list of national intangible cultural heritage.
A ritual in the Ban Vuong worshipping ceremony (Photo: dantocmiennui.vn)
The newly recognised are the praying-for-bumper-crops ceremony of the Red Co Lao ethnic group in Tung San commune and the Ban Vuong worshipping ceremony of the Red Dao ethnic group in Ho Thau commune.
Thèn Ngọc Minh, Chairman of the Hoang Su Phi district People’s Committee, said the praying-for-bumper-crops ceremony, also called the new corn ceremony, reflects the typical agricultural belief of the Co Lao minority group.
Every year, after harvesting rice and corn, Co Lao people hold a praying-for-bumper-crops ceremony to express gratitude to gods and ancestors for blessing them with good weather and bumper crops. Apart from rituals, this ceremony also features festivities such as folk singing and folk games.
Meanwhile, the Ban Vuong worshipping ceremony aims to show the Red Dao people’s respect for ancestors and aspiration for a peaceful life, prosperity, good weather, and bumper crops. They believe that the worship of Ban Vuong, believed to be the great ancestor of all clans of the Dao people, is related to the destiny of each person, each clan, and the entire ethnic group, according to Minh.
Located in the west of Ha Giang, Hoang Su Phi district is a long-standing living place of 13 ethnic groups, including Dao, Tay, Nung, Mong, Co Lao, and La Chi. Local ethnic minorities still uphold their unique traditional culture.
Meanwhile, there are 19 ethnic groups in Ha Giang. The province is currently home to 27 national intangible cultural heritages, six of which belong to minority groups with a population of less than 10,000 like Bo Y, Lo Lo, Pu Peo, and Co Lao./.
Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/
