The Ba Be Lake and its national park, true natural jewels of Vietnam, are also key locations for celebrations. Throughout the year, local communities invite you to share their ancestral traditions during colorful festivals. Let’s dive into the heart of the most important of these events, blending spirituality, joy of life, and authenticity: Long Tong.
The Long Tong Festival:
an offering to nature
Organized every year from the 9th to the 11th of January in the lunar calendar in over 500 villages in the Bac Kan province, the Long Tong festival is a significant moment of the year. This ancestral rite is a true declaration of love to nature. Villagers, dressed in their finest attire, gather by the lake to pay tribute to the spirits of the mountain and water, ensuring the prosperity of crops and the protection of the village. Although the festival is widely known as Long Tong, people call it differently depending on the location, such as Long Tong Ba Be or Le Xuong Dong, etc…
Long Tong, spirituality,
and local folklore
The Long Tong festival of Ba Be follows the same procedures as spring festivals in other regions.
Before the festival’s opening, early in the morning, participants offer incense at the An Ma Temple, located on an island in the middle of Ba Be Lake. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of tourists from inside and outside the province flock to the region to participate in the festival located on Ba Be Lake.
The first part, marked by solemnity, is dedicated to worship ceremonies. People prepare beautifully presented trays to offer to the gods. The dishes on the trays are traditional foods that represent the result of a year of hard work by the region’s inhabitants. These offerings, consisting of sticky rice, fruits, and poultry, are placed on richly decorated altars.
After the religious ceremonies, it’s time to celebrate! Numerous folk activities, sports challenges, and musical performances liven up the day and foster village cohesion. The younger ones enjoy skill games, while the elders pass down their knowledge to the younger generation. A highlight of the Long Tong festival is the traditional dance of 250 artisan villages around Ba Be Lake. This is a traditional dance of the Tay people that was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism as intangible cultural heritage in 2022. Another highlight of this festival is the “hat then,” a traditional song unique to the Tay, Nung, and Thai ethnic groups. The melancholic melodies and poetic lyrics of these songs evoke the beauty of nature, love, and the joys of life.
Folk games and modern sports are part of the sports events of the festival. For folk games, there is a wide variety of activities: tug of war, stilt walking, the boat race “Độc mộc” (a type of canoe made from a hollowed-out tree trunk), bamboo dance, sack race… Additionally, people can engage in modern sports like volleyball and kayaking. These activities attract a large number of participants, creating a lively atmosphere for the festival. Many exhibition stands are also set up, providing an opportunity for local communities to showcase the specialties and traditional products of the region.
In conclusion, the Ba Be Long Tong festival is a culturally significant event, an honor and pride of the inhabitants of the Bac Kan province in general and the Ba Be district in particular. The purpose of the celebration is to pray for favorable rain, wind, sky, and earth, all things thriving. At the same time, the festival also contributes to the preservation, conservation, and promotion of the value of relics and cultural heritage; creating momentum to promote tourism.
More info here : Amazing Spring Festival – Ba Be