(HBO) – Since 2020, the festival of Khoi Communal House in An Nghia commune, Lac Son district, has been restored. This is a major festival of the Muong Khoi area, and its restoration has met the cultural and spiritual demand of local residents.
Khoi Communal House in An Nghia commune (Lac Son district)
has been rebuilt, which has met local residents’ spiritual demand.
The local elderly said the temple is dedicated
to "Quoc Mau Hoang Ba” (the title of a mother goddess), the three gods of Tan
Vien Mountain, and some other gods. In the past, Khoi Communal House served as
the venue for a number of events in the Muong Khoi area, but the most important
was its own festival, held in the first lunar month.
The festival began on the 8th day of the first
lunar month, when locals gathered to clean the site and make other
preparations. On the next day - the main day of the event, they held
worshipping rituals in the morning and festive activities on a rice field named
Kham Xet in the afternoon. Many unique folk games of the Muong ethnic group
were organised such as wrestling, crossbow shooting, horse racing, singing, and
cloth ball throwing. The festival lasted through the 10th day of the first
lunar month.
Due to various reasons, the communal house was
demolished in 1950, and the festival was also abandoned. It was rebuilt on the
old ground in 2018. Its valuable antiquities and worship objects dating back to
the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 - 1945) are still preserved by local residents. Thanks
to the attention from the Party Committee and administration of Lac Son
district, the festival of Khoi Communal House has been restored and organised
at the district level.
Held on the 8th and 9th days of the first lunar
months, today’s festival basically still keeps the traditional process and
rituals. It reflects people’s respect for and gratitude to the gods and pray
for a new year of well-being, good weather, bumper crops, good health, peace,
and happiness.
Bui Hung, head of the culture and information
division of Lac Son district, said with profound humane values, the festival is
organised on a large scale with unique rituals and folk games, attracting the
entire local community. It is also an occasion for honouring ethnic groups’
culture and enhancing solidarity. The event is expected to help popularise
images of this land and connect Khoi Communal House with other relic sites in
Lac Son to form new tours and develop tourism./.
