Join us on a Famtrip to explore the tourism potential of the ethnic minority and mountainous areas in Thai Nguyen province, organized by the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Thai Nguyen in collaboration with the UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club at the end of 2024. One of the fascinating destinations for near and far visitors is the San Chay ethnic community in Dong Tien village, Yen Lac commune, Phu Luong district.
PRESERVING CULTURAL BEAUTY
Dong Tien is a village located in the mountainous Yen Lac commune of Phu Luong district, with 80% of its population belonging to the San Chay ethnic group. Its pristine scenery and rich cultural heritage are advantages for developing community-based tourism. During the survey trip, participants had the opportunity to visit the ancient stilt houses of Mrs. Hoang Thi Hang and her family.
There are currently about 30 ancient stilt houses remaining in Dong Tien village, ranging from 50 to 100 years old. After taking us on a tour of her ancient stilt house, Mrs. Hang introduced us to the daily costume of San Chay women, which consists of indigo skirts and long dresses adorned with patterns on the sleeves and back. During festivals and special occasions, women wear more elaborately decorated indigo outfits.
While staying in a homestay in Dong Tien village, we were treated to a performance of the Tac Xinh dance and listened to the captivating Sang Co singing. The locals enthusiastically shared their cultural activities and traditional rituals, allowing visitors to deeply appreciate the ethnic identity of the San Chay people.
“The Tac Xinh dance encompasses all the elements of folk performance art and has been passed down and preserved by generations of the San Chay community, earning its recognition as a unique national intangible cultural heritage of Thai Nguyen province.”
Ms. Pham Thi Lan Anh, Head of the Culture and Information Office of Phu Luong District.
Elaborating on the Tac Xinh dance, Mrs. Hoang Thi Hang explained that the San Chay people’s annual Crop Praying Festival features folk singing and unique dances such as “Xuc tep”, “Tac Xinh”, “Mua Trong”, and “Dam Ca”. The Tac Xinh dance itself consists of nine fundamental movements: “Tham duong”, “Lap lang”, “Bat quyet”, “Mai dao”, “Phat nuong don ray”, “Tra mo”, “Hai luom”, “Mung mua vu”, and “Chim gau.”
Ms. Pham Thi Lan Anh, Head of the Culture and Information Office of Phu Luong District, further added: “The ancient and vibrant culture of the San Chay people is reflected in their customs, beliefs, and various festivals and holidays.”
PRESERVING THE FLAVORS OF TRADITIONAL TET HOLIDAY
When asked about the Tet holiday of the San Chay people, Ms. Ninh Thi Mao, an elderly resident of Dong Tien village, shared that traditionally, the Tet celebration lasted from the 30th of Chạp month to the 15th of the first lunar month of the following year. Nowadays, the San Chay people only celebrate Tet until the fourth day of the lunar new year.
During the week before Tet, each household prepares decorations, pasting red paper on important areas such as the entrance to the house, doors, ancestor altars, livestock enclosures, and agricultural tools, signaling the arrival of Tet. They also decorate and clean the ancestral altars. The San Chay people’s ancestor altars have two levels: the upper level is the most sacred area for worshipping the ancestors with vegetarian offerings like fruits, cakes, and wine. The lower level is for worshipping ancestors within five generations, with offerings of meat dishes.
The dishes offered during Tet include baked cakes, steamed sticky rice cakes, grilled cakes, fried cakes, popcorn, and “chim gau” cakes. The offerings on the 30th of Tet must include a whole boiled or roasted chicken, steamed sticky rice cakes, boiled or roasted pork, whole fish, lap xuong, a bowl of vermicelli, and “khau nhuc.”
On the night of the 30th, transitioning to the first day of the new year, each San Chay family prepares a ritual to worship the “Ban ham.” This ritual involves reporting to the ancestors the transition from the old year to the new year and offering food to wandering souls so that they may also celebrate Tet and not cause any harm during the coming year.
On the morning of the first day of Tet, the San Chay people abstain from eating until noon. After 12 p.m., families prepare food to offer to their ancestors and enjoy their first meal of the new year. “The first day of Tet is for the ancestors, as all the good luck for the new year is believed to come from them,” Ms. Mao explained. “Therefore, on this day, people stay at home to tend to the ancestral altar and refrain from visiting or greeting neighbors.”
“On the morning of the first day of Tet, families get up early at cockcrow to fetch water from the purest and most pristine spring in the village. While doing so, they carry a stick of incense to pray to the spring and water gods for Dragon Water. Then, using a sprig of onion, they suck in the spring water and rinse their mouths three times.”
Ms. Ninh Thi Mao, Dong Tien village, Yen Lac commune, Phu Luong district.
On the second day of Tet, at the communal temple, the village chief and elders prepare a lavish offering to worship the earth god. Families also bring their offerings to contribute to the ritual. The shaman performs a ritual, bowing before the earth god’s altar and reciting a prayer in Nom, the San Chay people’s folk literature, asking for blessings of good health, favorable weather, and abundant harvests, with rice as tall as the waist and sweet potatoes as big as the head.
Starting from the second day of Tet and continuing until mid-January, the village organizes folk singing (“Sinh ca/Soong Co”) and dancing (“Tac Xinh”) performances for young men and women, along with traditional folk games.
CULTURAL PRESERVATION FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
Currently, the main livelihood of the people in Dong Tien village is agriculture, including forestry, tea, corn, and rice cultivation, as well as small-scale livestock breeding. In May 2024, the Dong Tien Community Tourism Cooperative in Yen Lac commune was established, with 13 members.
Ms. Hoang Thi Hang, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of the Cooperative, shared that since 2019, Dong Tien has been one of two villages in Yen Lac commune selected to implement a project on applying economic theory to sustainable community development, funded by the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA). The project focuses on community-based tourism development, cultural heritage exploitation, and economic benefits from forestry.
Some households have had the opportunity to visit Thailand and apply their learnings upon returning. Ms. Hang, for instance, started offering homestay accommodations and serving guests with local specialties and cultural performances. Along with this, the villagers produce traditional agricultural specialties, folk medicines, and herbal pillows for sale.
Mr. Thi Van Thuong, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Yen Lac commune, shared that Dong Tien village has recently established two community tourism cooperatives: the Dong Tien Community Tourism Cooperative and the Bao Thanh Community Tourism Cooperative. These cooperatives are functioning effectively, offering not only culinary services but also experiential activities such as tea plantation visits, tea processing, and local herb cultivation. Every week, between three and seven groups of tourists come to visit and stay overnight in Dong Tien village.
“The contribution of community tourism cooperatives to livelihoods and economic development is evident,” affirmed Mr. Thuong. “Previously, most of the San Chay ethnic people in Dong Tien were poor or near poor. However, since engaging in tourism, their economic situation has improved, with an average income of over 55 million VND per person per year. There are no more poor households in the village. Families who used to live in temporary or dilapidated houses now have proper homes.”
Ms. Nguyen Thuy Hang, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Phu Luong district, shared that the district has developed plans and programs for tourism development until 2025 and beyond. These plans include objectives to preserve and promote the national intangible cultural heritage of the Tac Xinh dance and Sang Co singing of the San Chay people, aiming to increase income, reduce poverty, and promote sustainable development.
The full content of this article was published in the Vietnamese Economic Magazine, Issue 3-20245, released on January 20, 2025. Please visit the following link to read the original article: https://postenp.phaha.vn/chi-tiet-toa-soan/tap-chi-kinh-te-viet-nam
Unlocking Homes for All: Social Housing Projects Take Center Stage in October’s Property Releases
According to statistics from local Department of Construction, 8 provinces and cities announced eligibility to sell future homes in 14 projects in October 2024. Notably, social housing projects accounted for half of this number.
Essential Supplies in Thai Nguyen Remain Ample, but Meat and Vegetable Prices Surge
In the city of Thai Nguyen, while there has been an increase in the prices of vegetables and pork, essential items such as water and instant noodles have remained stable. In fact, some merchants have gone a step further and reduced prices by 50% or even provided these items free of charge to groups purchasing supplies for flood-affected areas.
The Power Grid Soars: A $100 Million Investment for Thailand’s Energy Future
The demand for electricity in Thai Nguyen is expected to surge amidst a fresh wave of investments from industry giants.
Tecco Elite Thai Nguyen Opens Empty Apartments to Flood Victims: A Helping Hand from Dat Xanh Mien Bac.
Amidst the rising floodwaters that have deluged Thai Nguyen city, DXG Northern Real Estate and Services JSC – a proud member of the Dat Xanh ecosystem – has stepped up to offer temporary accommodation support to the resilient people of Thai Nguyen in their battle against the floods.
The Road Less Travelled: Uncovering the Beauty of the Thai Nguyen – Cho Moi Highway
The Vietnam Road Administration reports that the Thai Nguyen – Cho Moi Highway in Thai Nguyen City is currently experiencing severe flooding, with water levels reaching depths of 0.6 to 1.2 meters. This has resulted in significant traffic disruptions, and all vehicles traveling through this area have been temporarily halted.
