The Distinctive Xen Muong Festival of Mai Chau Region in 2026

On February 26 (the 10th day of the first lunar month), Mai Ha Commune solemnly and joyfully organized the 2026 Xen Muong Festival. Attendees included leaders of provincial departments and sectors, local authorities, and a large number of residents and tourists.

The Xen Muong Festival begins with the palanquin procession of General Su from Bon Village Communal House to the festival grounds.

The Xen Muong Festival is a unique National Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Thai ethnic group, held annually during the first lunar month. This fine tradition reflects a healthy cultural environment within the community, combining spiritual beliefs with core social ethics, creating a festive atmosphere every spring.

Shaman Lo Van Luan performs the ritual to pray for national peace and a bountiful harvest.

Mai Ha Commune is considered the first “capital” and the birthplace of the Thai people. Generations of Thai feudal lords played a significant role in reclaiming land, establishing villages, and founding the “Muong” (social administrative unit) that exists today. Furthermore, the ancestors demonstrated loyalty and unity in fighting foreign invaders to protect the borders.

The festival reenacts the New Rice Offering ritual of the Thai people in the Mai Chau region.

According to local historical records, during the Early Le Dynasty, a Thai lord in the (former) Mai Chau region was credited with fighting northern invaders and was bestowed the title of “Marquis” by King Le. The Thai people respectfully call him General Su and have established shrines to worship him across generations.

The festival features numerous cultural and artistic performances imbued with ethnic identity.

The Keng Loong art performance, recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, is showcased at the festival.

Following the 5th Resolution of the 8th Central Committee, in 2014, with the support of the State and local authorities, Bon Village Temple was restored according to traditional Thai stilt-house architecture. Annually, on the 9th and 10th days of the first lunar month, residents from the communes of Mai Chau, Mai Ha, Bao La, Tan Mai, and Pa Co gather to celebrate the Xen Muong Festival.

The festival aims to express gratitude to the ancestors, tutelary gods, and predecessors who founded the villages; to pray for national peace, favorable weather, bountiful harvests, prosperity for the Muong, and family happiness.

The “Festive Section” takes place with various unique cultural and sporting activities, such as crossbow shooting.

Stick pushing competition.

Snail-shaped cake wrapping competition.

Traditional Thai ethnic cooking competition.

The festival consists of two parts: the Ceremony and the Games. The Ceremonial part is solemnly presided over by a Shaman. Rituals to worship the village and “Muong” deities are performed with offerings such as buffalo, pigs, chickens, sticky rice, and wine. The procession is led by the Tao Phia (Land Lord) and village dignitaries, followed by elders, village chiefs, and youths carrying gongs, drums, and flutes toward the Tuong Su shrine. Two buffaloes, decorated with vibrant colored paper flowers, are presented as offerings to show respect and pray for the warding off of evil spirits and the prosperity of the community.

The Xen Muong Festival in Mai Chau is an occasion for ethnic groups in the region to demonstrate indigenous folk knowledge.

Immediately after the solemn ceremony is the vibrant Festive part, featuring traditional activities such as shuttlecock throwing, stick pushing, stilt walking, tug-of-war, Xoe dancing, antiphonal singing, cockfighting, nightingale competitions, and panpipe performances. The festival space is filled with the vivid colors of brocade; locals and tourists alike enjoy traditional Thai cuisine at various stalls, immersing themselves in the echoes of drums and gongs resonating through the mountains and forests.

The Xen Muong Festival is not only a spiritual activity but also a means to preserve and promote the cultural identity of the Thai people, while enhancing the promotion of the history, cultural potential, and tourism of the Mai Chau region. This contributes to building a healthy spiritual life and creating an atmosphere of competitive labor and production from the very first days of the new spring.

Manh Hung