(HBO) – The 10th Xen Muong festival opened in Mai Chau district’s Chieng Chau commune on February 14. The festival saw leaders of Mai Chau district and local people in attendance.
Thay mo (shaman) leads a delegation
processing the palanquin to Bon Temple
Chieng Chau commune is considered the capital of Thai ethnic people who
migrated from Bac Ha (Lao Cai province) in the 13th century. Generations
of Thai lords directed people to reclaim the land to set up their villages. The
festival is organised to show locals’ respect for the predecessors, and pray
for favourable weather, pumper crops, and people’s prosperity and happiness.
The festival also helps popularise Mai Chau tourism’s potential to both domestic
and foreign visitors.

Art performance of Thai ethnic
people at Xen Muong festival
This year, the festival was held at communal level, including offering
ceremony and festive activities. After leader of Chieng Chau commune beat the
drum to kick off the festival, the shaman and local people processed the
palanquin of Tuong Su (General Su) to Bon village. This was followed by an incense
offering ceremony at Bon Temple.
Besides, a wide range of art performances that featured Thai ethnic culture
were staged at the event./.
A Phong Linh (Yellow Tabebuia) flower garden in Thang village, Thach Yen commune, Cao Phong district is currently in full bloom, drawing a large number of visitors.
Community-based tourism has been thriving in Pa Co commune, Mai Chau district thanks to advantages in natural landscape and cultural identity.
Doan Ket commune of Yen Thuy district has recently held a ceremony to receive a certificate recognising Ta communal house as a provincial-level historical and cultural relic site.
In Lac Thuy district, the fertile alluvial land along the Boi River is now home to lush green mulberry gardens, marking the emergence of a new agricultural industry - mulberry cultivation and silkworm farming.
Officially opening in February, Ngoi Hoa Ecotourism Site (PriorBay Resort) in Suoi Hoa commune, Tan Lac district, has quickly become a sought-after destination. It offers visitors a chance to indulge in distinctive and enticing experiences.
Gia Trang Heian Homestay, a unique cultural oasis in the heart of Hoa Binh city, has become a compelling attraction for tourists seeking ethnic cultural experiences within an urban setting. Bui Thi Hien, a local in Kim Boi district with aspiration for ethnic culture and community-based tourism development, created the homestay that seamlessly blends traditional and contemporary features.