Preserving the Non Khe Village Newspaper Festival - National Intangible Cultural Heritage

02/08/2025 07:00

The palanquin procession ceremony in the Non Khe village newspaper festival, Ninh Binh province. (Source: Department of Information and Communications of Ninh Binh province)

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Non Khe Village Newspaper Festival (Yen Tu Commune, Yen Mo District) is one of the famous village festivals in Ninh Binh province in terms of scale, performance and some rituals.

The "Bao Ban" Association means to repay the merits of ancestors, forefathers, those who contributed to reclaiming land and establishing villages.

The unique ritual of the Non Khe Village Newspaper Festival is also a manifestation of the Vietnamese culture's "When drinking water, remember its source" ethic, contributing to preserving and maintaining the cultural identity of the Vietnamese ethnic community.

According to traditional customs, the Non Khe Village Newspaper Festival takes place every year on the 14th day of the first lunar month. In recent years, for some reasons and conditions, with the high consensus of all dignitaries and villagers, the festival has been held on the 13th and 14th days of the first lunar month. Therefore, no matter where they go, every time the 13th and 14th day of the first lunar month - the village festival - the descendants of the village try to return to attend the festival. In addition, the festival also attracts a large number of people and tourists from near and far to participate.

Activities taking place in the Non Khe Village Newspaper Festival include a ceremony and a festival.

Ritual sacrifice in the Non Khe village's Bao Ban festival, Ninh Binh province. (Source: Department of Information and Communications of Ninh Binh province)

The ceremony part of the festival will include offering incense to honor the contributions of the elders who founded the village and to commemorate the heroic martyrs who were children of the village who sacrificed their lives in the war.

In addition, the Non Khe Village Newspaper Festival is also held to report to ancestors and Thanh Hoang about the success and studiousness of the village's children, and to review the achievements of the old year.

The festival took place in a lively and joyful atmosphere with activities such as chess, lion dance, wrestling, art performances and sports activities.

A unique feature that the Bao Ban Festival in Non Khe still retains is the two night markets on the evenings of January 12 and 13, attracting thousands of people to attend with many rustic dishes imbued with the flavor of the homeland such as banh duc, banh gai, banh cuon, bun rieu, bun oc...

The Bao Ban Festival was held solemnly and sacredly, yet bustlingly and warmly. After the festival days, Non Khe people were excited to enter a new business season with the wish of “people’s health and prosperity” more than the previous year.

The Bao Ban Festival and its space contribute to conveying the nearly 600-year history of the Non Khe land. The festival not only reflects a special historical period of the Vietnamese people - the period when the Later Le Dynasty protected the border and expanded the territory of Dai Viet to the South, but also contains within it the belief system of the Vietnamese people in the lower reaches of the Red River Delta.

The festival is also a place to preserve many values and cultural elements, creating the unique identity of the village such as folk literature, folk architecture, worship system, Nom script, techniques for making cakes, sticky rice, chicken and pig heads.

Playing human chess at the Non Khe village newspaper festival, Ninh Binh province. (Source: Department of Information and Communications of Ninh Binh province)

In addition, the festival also preserves relatively intact ancient rituals associated with the worship of ancestors, those who founded the village, the worship of national heroes from the Later Le dynasty, and the worship of water gods and the Sun worship of wet rice farmers with customs such as the procession of saints, the palanquin procession from the East then going around the village, cooking food at night, and raising ceremonial chickens.

With its cultural and historical values, on December 10, 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 3987/QD-BVHTTDL recognizing the Non Khe Village Newspaper Festival (Yen Tu Commune, Yen Mo District, Ninh Binh Province) as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

To protect and promote the heritage, in the coming time, Ninh Binh province will continue to enhance the management role of local Party committees and authorities in directing, managing and guiding festival activities; strengthen propaganda and introduction of the festival; research, collect, restore and document the Bao Ban festival.

At the same time, stage Cheo, drama and art performances to serve the festival; promote the role of the community, increase socialization in preserving and promoting the cultural values of the festival./.