According to VNA, in Toan Thang commune, Phu Tho province, the traditional stream fishing festival in 2026 has just taken place sôi nổi, attracting thousands of people and tourists inside and outside the province to participate.
The festival is a folk cultural activity associated with the agricultural production of wet rice of the ancient Muong Tro people, now belonging to Chieng Doi, Doi Be and Tan Lap hamlets.
According to folk beliefs, after the rice planting season, people organize collective fishing in the streams to pray for favorable weather, good harvests, and a prosperous life.
From early morning, the festival yard area in Tan Lap hamlet along with Khoang Lo and Khoang Tro streams is bustling with gongs, drums and the colors of traditional costumes of the Muong people. People and tourists participate in many cultural, sports, and folk games imbued with the ancient Muong region's identity.
Chairman of Toan Thang Commune People's Committee Nguyen Vu Hung said that the festival not only carries traditional religious values but also contributes to educating the young generation to preserve national cultural identity, enhance community solidarity and awareness of natural resource protection.
From a community activity of the Muong people in Thach Bi region, the festival has now become a major local festival. Currently, the commune is completing a dossier proposing to include the traditional stream fishing festival in the National List of intangible cultural heritage.
The festival is also known as "Festival of going down to the fields to weed rice", expressing gratitude to the predecessors who pioneered the land, guided people to cultivate water fields and catch seafood. According to Muong legend, Mr. Hun, Mr. Hin and Khang Ba Uoi Tuc were the ones who built dams, dug ditches to lead water, and taught production techniques to local residents. The largest fish after being caught are selected to offer to the tutelary god at the temple.
The highlight of the festival is collective fishing activities in the stream compartments. Hundreds of people bring nets, fishing nets, traps, and nets to go down to the stream to catch fish in a bustling atmosphere. Many experiential activities such as rafting, casting nets, crossbow shooting, tug-of-war, and swimming also attract a large number of participants.
The 200 Muong gong symphony program created an impression with echoing sounds in the mountains and forests, recreating the unique cultural space of the Muong people in the Ancestral Land. The love duet performances, Muong folk songs performances, weaving competitions for fishing tools and processing of ethnic cuisine also left many impressions.
The new point of the 2026 festival is to link cultural activities with environmental protection and aquatic resource regeneration. Before the opening day of the festival, the locality organized fish release in the Khoang Lo area to contribute to protecting the natural ecosystem.
