Xoe and Tet dancing festival

Xoe and Tet dancing festival Xoe Festival is a unique feature and cultural identity of the Tay ethnic people every Tet and spring, to pray for lush crops, full houses, and prosperous and smooth lives for the people in the village. The festival's ritual is relatively simple, with a tray of offerings displayed under a large tree, showing the Tay people's loyalty to Than Nong - the god who governs the fields. After the shaman performs all the necessary rituals, the villagers will gather in the open yard and participate in xoe dancing to the bustling sound of gongs and drums. Traditional costumes, bustling music with many tones, and cheerful faces bring a vibrant and extremely unique festival atmosphere. The dances are changed one by one such as: Xoe Gathering, Double Xoe, Four Xoe, Hello Xoe..., along with traditional Tay dances such as: down-field dance, sling dance, sowing dance, harvest dance, up-field dance... showing graceful and seductive features. Xoe festival has become an attractive cultural highlight of Ta Chai, Bac Ha, and Sa Pa. This event is one of the highlights that attracts tourist groups to come to witness and participate in the unique dance, thereby better understanding the unique cultural beauty of the locality. Coming to Xoe Festival, local people and tourists can also participate in folk games such as  shuttlecock throwing, stick pushing, tug of war, running to capture the flag, climbing fat poles, going to the monkey bridge to pick coconuts... Tet dance (Put Tong) is the most important ritual in the ancestor worship belief of the Red Dao people, it is a performance method performed during the ceremony and also means a worshiping and praising ritual, remembering the spirits of ancestors and gods to ask for care and protection from the supernatural beings of the Red Dao people. The Red Dao people organize Put Tong on the first day of the new year according to the lunar calendar. Choosing the day is decided by the family head and usually avoids taboo days of the family. The venue for the ceremony is usually the family head of the Red Dao clan. Because it is the most important ceremony, preparations are always done long before the ceremony, thoughtfully and seriously. The clan leader takes charge of the main arrangements, both for offerings and props. The main offerings include chicken, wine, rice, fruit cakes, etc. Ritual objects include worship paintings, swords, amulets, priest's costumes, flags, weapons, etc. The Put Tong ceremony process includes 11 steps and most of the worshiping rituals are performed through dance movements. The dances are performed one after another throughout the ritual process, the prayers are almost "packaged" into the dances. Music and words are also important artistic elements of the Put Tong ritual. Musical instruments used in the ritual include drums, drums, and bamboo sticks. Music and dance blend together very naturally, creating liveliness during the performance. In Put Tong, folk performing arts such as dance, music, words and especially rituals are integrated, which have important meanings in the spiritual and spiritual life of the Red Dao people. Dances are the key element, creating the unique identity of the Put Tong ritual, creating spiritual communication between mortals and gods, leading the Red Dao people to find strength and faith in life, national traditions,...