In 2025, the Muong ethnic group's Khai Ha Festival will take place on the 7th and 8th of the first lunar month in Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province. The festival promises to bring exciting and meaningful activities rich in national cultural identity, attracting a large number of people and tourists to participate.
For a long time, the Khai Ha festival has become an indispensable cultural and religious activity during the New Year of the Muong people in Hoa Binh. This is also an opportunity for the people of the four Muong in the province, Muong Bi, Muong Vang, Muong Thang, Muong Dong, to exchange, meet, strengthen community solidarity, and express their gratitude to heaven and earth.
Khai Ha Festival, also known as Going Down to the Fields Festival, Forest Opening Festival, is associated with the legend of the National Mother Hoang Ba - the mother of Duc Thanh Tan, who contributed to the establishment of the Muong land. Therefore, the Festival has the meaning of respecting the gods, remembering those who contributed to the establishment of the land, the Muong and praying for all things to grow and develop, for a bountiful harvest, a prosperous and happy life.
According to the Organizing Committee, this year's Muong Ethnic Opening Ceremony is held on a provincial scale, including many diverse activities such as traditional art performances, folk games and ethnic sports competitions.
According to Mr. Bui Van Tinh - Chairman of Tan Lac District People's Committee, Head of the Festival Organizing Committee, right from the beginning of the year, Tan Lac District has organized conferences and meticulously planned for each activity.
"We have coordinated with departments and branches to ensure all stages, from infrastructure to security and traffic safety throughout the process before, during and after the Festival. Our goal is to bring a festival season full of tradition, absolute safety, meeting the needs of tourists" - Mr. Tinh shared.
Currently, preparations for the festival have been comprehensively implemented with many impressive activities such as the ceremony to worship the local god, the Thanh Hoang worshiping ceremony and the procession of the National Mother Hoang Ba along with a special art program to welcome the opening ceremony with the performance of Muong gongs by artisans from many localities throughout the province.
The festival features the following activities: cultural and culinary displays; competitions in traditional sports: crossbow shooting, tug of war, stick pushing, etc. The activities not only contribute to preserving the national cultural identity, but also strengthen the connection between members of the community.
The enthusiastic and enthusiastic atmosphere of preparation is perhaps most clearly demonstrated through the focused preparation of the collaborators and artists. According to records, the collaborators and artists from communes in the district have been actively practicing for many days, aiming to bring the most outstanding performances to the At Ty Summer-Spring Festival.
Ms. Bui Thi Thu - an official of the Tan Lac District Culture, Sports and Communication Center said that although the collaborators and artists each have different jobs, they all focus on researching, contributing ideas, and gradually perfecting the performance. Each person is dedicated to the performance, demonstrating the spirit, responsibility, passion and pride in the traditional art of the nation.
In addition to its cultural significance, the Muong ethnic group’s Opening Ceremony is considered an opportunity to promote tourism in Hoa Binh. In recent years, the images of Muong villages and local specialties such as bamboo rice and can wine have become the province’s leading tourism products.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy - Director of the Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion of Hoa Binh province, emphasized: "We have closely coordinated with tourism businesses to organize tours, and at the same time promote the image of Hoa Binh to domestic and foreign tourists".
With thorough and careful preparation, the Muong Ethnic Group Opening Ceremony in Hoa Binh Province in 2025 promises to bring unique experiences, honoring the traditional culture of the Muong ethnic group, contributing to connecting the community, promoting local culture and tourism.
