People in Ngoc Chien commune, Muong La district celebrate the new rice crop to honor traditional values and entertain tourists who experience the local life and culture.

Ngoc Chien commune is located at an altitude of 1,800m above sea level and is surrounded by two majestic mountain ranges. This is one of the largest rice granaries with a special rice variety from Muong La district.

These days, hundreds of hectares of rice fields in Ngoc Chien turn yellow, winding around the mountain slopes, houses, and streams. People are excited to harvest the first rice grains to make traditional dishes for the new rice festival.

The new rice festival has been upheld from generation to generation of ethnic people in Ngoc Chien commune. The festival has a deep spiritual meaning, which shows people’s gratitude to their ancestors for blessing them with a bountiful harvest and prosperous life.

Villager Lo Van Thoa said that in the past, people often suffered from hunger before harvest. When the rice ripens, they celebrate the new rice season to thank their ancestors for cultivating land and establishing the village.

"Nowadays, life has developed and people have enough food and clothing. They organize the new rice festival to honor their ancestors’ accomplishments and relax with fun activities and folk games,” Thoa noted.

For many years, the festival has been held on National Day, September 2, to multiply the joy and happiness.

Bui Tien Sy, Secretary of Ngoc Chien commune’s Party Committee, said that the new rice festival is held to celebrate National Day.

"A ritual is held at Don Ho ancestral temple to ask for the permission of the ancestors and deities to organize the festival. Then comes the reenactment of the Pang A festival of the La Ha group and a ritual to thank the buffalos. Festive activities will revive old folk games which are not popular now,” he said.

The festival begins with the worship of new rice at the ancestral temple of Muong Chien village. The shaman performs rituals to express gratitude to ancestors, heaven, and earth, and pray for favorable weather and bountiful crops. The ceremony is attended by the village patriarch and senior and prestigious villagers.

After the ritual at the ancestral temple, people return home to organize their family ceremony. Every family, rich or poor, prepares a tray of young rice, cakes, and other dishes to place on the ancestral altar.

At the communal yard, various cultural activities and folk games are held jubilantly, including a young rice pounding competition, throwing Pa Pao ball, football, picking fruit, an ethnic culinary competition, arranging trays of worship offering, and a trade fair of local products.

The land, people, and unique cultural characteristics of the northwest mountains have left a deep impression on visitors.

“This is the first time I joined the new rice festival in Ngoc Chien commune. I like the local food and explore the unique cultural features of the Mong and Thai people,” Satomi Hanzawa, a Japanese tourist shared.

Nguyen Lan Anh, a tourist from Hanoi, said, “The scenery is very beautiful, with a vast sunny valley and fresh air. I’m very happy to see people enthusiastically preserving their unique cultural features. I had a very meaningful trip.”

Beautiful golden rice fields, delicious dishes made from young aromatic rice, and cheerful Xoe dance and folk games are welcoming visitors to the northwest mountain.