Preserving Traditional Cultural Identity in Festivals

As the ancestral land of the Vietnamese nation—the birthplace of the Hung Kings' era of nation-building—Phu Tho has long been regarded as a special cultural space. It is a confluence of profound history, spirituality, and unique folk identity. Every spring, as flowers bloom, villages and mountain hamlets resonate with festival drums and vibrant flags, vividly recreating the rich spiritual life of the Ancestral Land community.

The flag team performs the “army running” ritual during the Ong Khiu Ba Khiu Procession Festival in Hy Cuong Commune.

The province currently boasts over 800 traditional festivals across its communes and wards. While held throughout the year, they are most concentrated in the spring. These festivals are not only occasions to remember ancestors, national heroes, and indigenous deities but also sanctuaries for traditional rituals, folk performing arts, traditional games, and community activities.

Many of these have been inscribed on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list, such as the Tro Tram Festival, the Muong Khai Ha Festival, Dao Xa Communal House Festival, Lang Suong Temple Festival, Du Yen Temple Festival, Ngu Doi Temple Festival, and the Keo Song (Tug-of-war) Festival. Each is a cultural slice reflecting the deep-seated beliefs and spiritual life of a wet-rice agricultural civilization.

In the context of integration and robust tourism development, Phu Tho increasingly prioritizes preserving the original values of traditional festivals. Rituals such as offerings, palanquin processions, water processions, and the “sacred rice” procession are performed in strict accordance with ancient traditions. The festive sections maintain folk games like swinging, blindfolded pot smashing, crossbow shooting, gong performances, drum stabbing, and senh tien dancing to avoid the risks of “over-theatricalization” or excessive commercialization.

This year, after a 19-year hiatus, Hy Cuong Commune restored the Ong Khiu Ba Khiu Procession Festival. The event merged ancestral worship, agricultural beliefs, and fertility cults, reflecting aspirations for favorable weather and bountiful harvests.

The highlight was the ritual on the Khiu platform, featuring offerings of Banh Chung—the quintessence of rice civilization—and a tray of five grains (rice, corn, beans, peanuts, sesame) symbolizing reproduction. Ong Khiu held the rice tray while Ba Khiu threw “luck” in the form of cakes to the villagers. This moment was more than mere excitement; it was a sacred entrustment of faith in divine blessings and the philosophy of shared prosperity.

Ms. Nguyen Thu Hien, Chairwoman of the Hy Cuong Commune People’s Committee, stated: "Following the restoration of this festival, we will continue to renovate degraded historical-cultural sites and study the revival of other interrupted traditions, such as the Ha Dien Festival at Co Tich Communal House, contributing to the preservation of the Ancestral Land’s identity."

The festival space is further enriched by the cultural activities of ethnic minorities. The Gau Tao Festival of the Hmong, the Xen Muong of the Thai, and the Tet Doi of the Muong all bear the hallmarks of agricultural beliefs and ancestral gratitude.

In Thu Cuc Commune, Tet Doi is a pinnacle of Muong spiritual life. The ritual of procession of the rice soul—also known as Nang Com, Nang Gao (Lady Rice)—is the most sacred part. It is believed that once the rice soul is brought home, granaries will be filled, and families will be prosperous. This is not just a harvest prayer but a tribute to the grain of rice—the crystallization of sweat, labor, and generations of farming wisdom.

Similarly, the Duc But Festival (also known as the Mat-Snatching Festival) at the Phi Lien village temple complex reenacts the legend of Princess Ngoc Kinh, a talented female general from the Trung Sisters' era. The “mat-tearing” ritual combines elements of luck-seeking with the forging of a resilient spirit against invaders, helping younger generations understand their ancestors' tradition of national defense.

In early spring festivals, the balance between the solemn Ceremony and the vibrant Games ensures that the spiritual core is maintained while providing a communal playground. Preserving identity does not mean being frozen in the past but promoting traditional values in new conditions. When rituals are practiced correctly and artisans are honored, the festival becomes a sustainable cultural resource.

Every drumbeat, every Xoan melody, and every sacred procession reaffirms the roots of national culture. Focusing on identity in traditional festivals is how the Ancestral Land continues to radiate cultural vitality, nurturing solidarity, pride, and a sense of origin in every Vietnamese person.

Phuong Thanh