(HBO) - As the most typical traditional festival of the Mong ethnic group, the annual Gau Tao festival takes place at the beginning of the Lunar New Year. The two communes of Hang Kia and Pa Co, Mai Chau district hold the festival to express gratitude to the heaven and the earth and pray for peace, prosperity and good health.
Photo:Tourists
and locals join the ball-throwing event (nem pao) in Gau Tao festival in Pa Co
and Hang Kia communes, Mai Chau district.
This year, the festival was held on a larger scale in a joyful atmosphere to
celebrate the Year of the Cat. It drew the participation of a large number of
visitors across the country and foreign tourists.
Xa Linh stadium in Pa Co commune was chosen as the venue for the festival which
opened with the presence of more than 6,000 residents and visitors.
According to Sung A Chua, Vice Chairman of Pa Co Commune People's Committee,
head of the event’s organising committee, the organisation of the festival
meets the aspirations and spiritual life of the people, aiming to honour
cultural identity of the Mong ethnic group. It also contributes to promoting
the image, people, history and culture of the highland region and speeding up
tourism development.
Erecting a bamboo pole, known as a neu tree, is the most important ritual of
the festival. It is erected on a large and flat ground which reflects stability
and is also a symbol of the sacred tree connecting heaven and earth. Shamans
burn incense and put offerings around the tree to pray for favourable weather
and people's prosperity in the new year.
This year's festival attracted a lot of visitors as it lasted for three days
with the organisation of many activities. Right after the opening of the
festival, boys and girls of the Mong ethnic group and tourists, hand in hand,
joined a Xoe dance to show their solidarity.
Visitors to the festival were also fascinated by folk games and experiential
activities.
Susanne, a tourist from Germany, said the atmosphere of the Gau
Tao festival is wonderful as everyone has fun and participates in interesting
games.
She described the trip as an unforgettable experience about the
land, people, and cultural identity of the Mong ethnic group in Mai Chau
district.
The Gau Tao festival offers a chance for the Mong people who work far away from
home to return to their homeland, to gather and welcome the new year.
Coming to the festival, visitors can enjoy cultural performances
imbued with the identity of Mong people in such games as throwing balls or
walking on stilts. This is also an opportunity for Mong boys to show off their
talent in dancing and playing panpipes./.
Hoa Binh province’s rich natural and cultural resources position it as a prime location for developing community-based tourism (CBT). In recent years, support from central and provincial policies, as well as assistance from non-governmental organisations, have encouraged local ethnic minority and mountainous communities to actively engage in the sector.
Van Son Commune, Tan Lạc district, Hoa Binh province also known as "Cloud Valley," boasts a cool climate, stunning natural landscapes, and majestic scenery. Visitors who have been to this place should make a stop at Chien Hamlet to experience a lot of fascinating things and feel the friendly, warmth of the Muong ethnic people.
Thanks to the effective exploitation of natural landscape and the cultural diversity of ethnic minorities, Hoa Binh province has become an attractive destination for tourists seeking experiences and exploration.
The Department of Cultural Heritage has just coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hoa Binh province to organize a training on implementing the model of the cultural heritage connected in the cultural tourism journey in Cao Phong and Lac Son districts.
The Sung village in Cao Son commune, Da Bac district, is endowed with pristine natural landscape, and Dao Tien ethnic minority community in the village preserves rich cultural heritage, including traditional housing, clothing, language, scripts, customs, and daily life practices. Since the community-based tourism model was introduced in the locality, these traditional cultural values have been further preserved and promoted.
