VOV.VN - “Nhảy lửa”, known as “fire jumping” in English, is a ritual of the Pa Then ethnic minority people which received plenty of attention from visitors at the first festival of ethnic minority groups with a population of less than 10,000 held in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau.
Pa Then fire-jumping ceremony is held annually in the mountainous province of Tuyen Quang during the 10th lunar month.
The offerings include an incense, a boiled pork, five cups of wine, and votive money.
The ritual aims to thank God for a good year of bumper crops, as well as a prosperous and healthy life.
Before performers dance on burning coals, an oracle sits on a long bench to worship God.
Nine Pa Then ethnic men take part in the re-enactment of a fire-jumping ceremony taking place in Lai Chau city.
As the ceremony begins, ethnic men bend their bodies and dance on burning charcoals.
They are able to use their hands to touch and walk on the burning charcoals.
Young men jump over a coal fire without fear and are able to come away unscathed.
According to the belief of the Pa Then, the power of divine protects them from being burnt.
The fire dance lasts for about 30 minutes until the coal is completely burnt out.
In September, the Pa Then fire-jumping ceremony was listed as part of the nation’s intangible heritage for the second time.
The recognition aims to preserve and promote the unique festival which showcases the rich culture of the ethnic group.
A young man shows his hands which appears black and without burns after the performance.
The ceremony is not only a unique cultural activity, but is also a wild and mysterious practice performed by the Pa Then people.