Long Tong Festival (also known as the Going to the Fields Festival) of the Tay ethnic group. This festival takes place on the 15th day of the first lunar month, to express the wishes of the villagers. Not only praying for favorable weather and bountiful crops, the Tay ethnic group also prays for prosperity and happiness. With deep spiritual meaning, the people here believe that this belief will bring them material wishes for a new year of hard work.

Starting in spring, the festival is very bustling. The Tay people dress up in their traditional costumes and eagerly participate in the festival. At the same time, this is also an opportunity for boys and girls to meet and exchange. They sing to each other, dance together, etc. And then there is the custom of worshiping heaven and earth passed down by their ancestors.

Like most other festivals, the Long Tong Festival has two main parts: the ceremony and the festival. The ceremony will have solemn traditional rituals, expressing worship of this belief. The beginning is the procession of fruits and cakes. Next, there is the worship of Thanh Hoang Tho Dia, the mountain god, and the stream god. The shaman will pray for good things for this year’s crop.

The festival will be more exciting, with the participation of the entire village. A series of folk entertainment activities such as crossbow shooting, swallow fighting, stick pushing, etc. will take place in a fun and friendly way, promoting the community spirit. Not only the Tay people, but this festival also attracts other ethnic groups such as Mong, Kinh and Dao in the area to participate.

This is a unique festival of the Tay community, containing many beautiful folk cultural features. If you come to Ha Giang during the Long Tong festival, definitely experience it to understand more about the culture of the highlands.