On December 19 and 20, Chieng Lao commune bustledly organized a moss picking festival and a series of unique cultural, sports and culinary activities, attracting a large number of people and tourists.
The center of the Festival is the stream moss picking competition taking place at Gion stream (Ba Hop village). In addition to the 4 teams, from early morning, local people and tourists wade through the stream to pick moss, choosing young, clean moss stuck on the rock amid the strong water.
This is a long-standing custom associated with the lives of the Khang ethnic people here. A woman picking moss in a stream requires skill and experience to ensure both safety and keep the moss fresh and delicious.
After harvesting, moss was brought to the Pa Hop village cultural house to participate in the culinary processing competition. Dishes such as grilled moss, moss, moss soup... have a refreshing, fatty, spicy flavor typical of the mountain and forest flavor.
Tourists not only observe but also directly participate in processing and enjoying moss. Along with that are many other rustic dishes from local ingredients such as blue rice, grilled fish, and wild vegetables, creating a rich culinary space.
Along with culinary activities, the festival is also bustling with traditional sports and folk games such as stick pushing, con throwing, tug of war, bringing a joyful atmosphere, demonstrating the healthy and united spirit of the ethnic community of Chieng Lao commune.
The highlight is the local agricultural stall area prepared by Pa Hop, Huoi Tao, Huoi Ngan, Pa Mong, and Pa Pu villages. Many typical products such as sticky rice, bamboo shoots, chili, banana, grilled meat, national costumes, handicrafts are displayed, introduced and sold directly, contributing to promoting the product, promoting the community economy.
For the first time attending, Ms. Nguyen Minh Ngoc (To Hieu ward) shared: "Experiencing the stream picking moss and enjoying dishes from moss in the mountains and forests brings a very fresh and memorable feeling."
Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, Vice Chairman of Chieng Lao Commune People's Committee, said: The festival not only creates a cultural playground for the people in the commune but also contributes to preserving indigenous knowledge, raising awareness of environmental protection, gradually building typical community tourism products of Son La highlands.
