Long Tong Festival is an annual farming ritual after the Lunar New Year. This is the chance for local farmers to give thanks to the earth, sky, and gods who have blessed them with a bumper crop and clement weather wind. Local ethnic people also pray for good health, happiness, and prosperity. During the traditional ritual of ethnic communities, people join entertainment and sports activities before starting a new crop.
Let’s see how the ethnic people of Tay in Quang Minh Commune, Bac Quang District, Ha Giang Province, celebrate the ritual.
The shaman is on the altar to pray for a good crop and favorable rain and windNext is the procession of offering trays by the villagers in Quang Minh Commune to the godsThese are the main agricultural products made by the locals, such as sticky rice, chicken, duck meat, or buffalo meatA team of drums and trumpets with traditional dances of Tay ethnic people leads the processionTay ethnic women in traditional costumes join the ritualTay ethnic women in traditional costumes join the ritualTay ethnic women in traditional costumes join the ritualAfter the procession, people join enjoyable activities, opening with the game, namely ném còn (ball throwing)A foreign tourist excitingly joins the gameIn any festival held by Tay ethnic people, playing Tinh lute and singing Then songs are indispensableThe main part of Long Tong Festival now starts. Local government leaders do the first plows, kicking off a new crop.People join the rice transplanting contestPeople join the rice transplanting contestFolk games and sporting competitions attract the participation of villagers in the communeFolk games and sporting competitions attract the participation of villagers in the communeFolk games and sporting competitions attract the participation of villagers in the communeFolk games and sporting competitions attract the participation of villagers in the communeFolk games and sporting competitions attract the participation of villagers in the communeFolk games and sporting competitions attract the participation of villagers in the commune