Tan Pheo commune in Da Bac district has been long inhabited by people of several ethnic minority groups such as Tay, Dao and Muong. Each ethnic group has its own culture and unique customs during Tet. For the Tay people, although life has changed a lot, their cultural identity and customs of celebrating the Lunar New Year are still preserved and passed down.

Ha Van Phoi (sitting inside) in Tan
Pheo commune (Da Bac) knows and preserves many traditional cultural values of
the Tay ethnic group in the locality.
Ha Van Phoi, who knows many traditional
cultural features of the Tay ethnic group, shared that the Lunar New Year is
the most important and biggest festival in a year of the Tay people. Their
custom of welcoming Tet includes two stages: "het khau mo" which
means the new rice celebration, and "het set – het chieng" which
means the custom of welcoming the Lunar New Year, and is prepared from the last
lunar month. The new rice and Lunar New Year celebrations start in the period
from the first to the third day of January. The worshiping part usually has two
rites: worshiping ancestors and worshiping the Land Genie and those who govern
and look after the place where the family lives, with a hope that the ancestors
and genies will help protect the family.
On the morning of the first day of the
lunar new year, the Tay people have the custom of waking up early and going to
the garden to pick the greenest and freshest leaves to bring home with the
belief that they will bring lots of fortune and luck in the new year. Going to
a neighbour's house, they will wear white to bring luck and ward off bad luck.
The new rice celebration has been preserved
to this day. October is the month of rice harvest, families are happy because
the hardships of the between-crop months are over. They use new rice to worship
their ancestors.
Ha Van Le, Vice Chairman of the Tan Pheo
commune People's Committee, said that the Tay ethnic group accounts for 74% of
the commune’s population. The Tay people have many unique cultural features
such as their own language and writing, customs and practices during holidays,
Tet, weddings and funerals. Their costumes and houses are also made in their
own style.
Hoa Binh province has carried out multiple programmes and initiatives to revive its cultural heritage which has gradually fallen into oblivion through the ebbs and flows of history.
The most prominent and defining feature in the prehistoric era of Hoa Binh is the Hoa Binh Culture. The Culture was first discovered in Hoa Binh. The significant prehistoric culture represents not only Vietnam but also Southeast Asia and southern China. Through excavations of cave sites in the limestone regions of Hoa Binh, French archaeologist M. Colani introduced the world to a "Stone Age in Hoa Binh province – Northern Vietnam" in 1927. On January 30, 1932, the First Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians, held in Hanoi, officially recognised the Hoa Binh Culture.
Known as the "Land of Epic History”, Hoa Binh province, the gateway to Vietnam’s northwest, boasts a strategic location and a unique cultural tapestry woven by its ethnic minority communities.
The People's Committee of Luong Son District recently held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Sau Communal House in Thanh Cao Commune as a provincial-level historical and cultural site.
Recognising the importance of cultural heritage preservation in protecting and promoting the value system of Vietnamese culture, and serving socio-economic development in the new period, Party committees and local administrations in Hoa Binh province have identified it as a key task in the cultural development strategy. The province has been making efforts in mobilising resources, creating consensus among people and engaging ethnic communities in preserving and promoting cultural identity.
Hoa Binh province has captured growing attention both domestically and internationally for its distinctive cultural heritage and rich history. Most notably, it has been renowned for its famous Hoa Binh culture, considered the cradle of ancient Vietnamese civilisation. Looking ahead to significant milestones in 2025 and the 140th anniversary of province establishment in 2026, Hoa Binh Newspaper presents a comprehensive overview of the province's development across economic, social, cultural, tourism, and security domains.