Let's go to the festival of Ba...

Scene of the procession at the Ba Thu Bon Festival in Duy Tan commune. Photo: PHI THANH

Joining the crowd of festival-goers were many Cham people from the faraway province of Ninh Thuan. They participated in the festival with impressive costumes, unique folk dances, and the bustling sound of gongs…

3(2).jpg — Mr. Nam Trau - a Cham man, barefoot, with his hair tied up high, attended the ceremony and enjoyed the festival with the people of Thu Bon village. Photo: PHI THANH

The festival on the 12th day of the 2nd lunar month every year in Thu Bon village (Duy Tan, Duy Xuyen) is a traditional folk festival bearing the strong imprint of the transformation between traditional spiritual culture and modern culture of the Kinh and Cham ethnic groups; it is a result of the process of cultural exchange between Vietnam and Cham, the fusion of the Mother Goddess worship and the worship of the mother of the land.

Gingerbread - one of the dishes at the Ba Thu Bon festival, originated from the Cham people. Photo: PHI THANH

Every year, Le Ba Thu Bon welcomes Cham men and women to attend the village festival. This year, about 20 Cham people from My Son commune (Ninh Son district, Ninh Thuan province) joined the festival of the river region with the gong and drum beats. Among them, Mr. Nam Trau - a Cham man who has been barefoot for over 45 years, with his hair tied up high, came to attend the ceremony and enjoy the festival with the Thu Bon villagers.

The royal procession in the Ba Thu Bon festival. Photo: PHI THANH

They, along with the people of Quang, reverently participated in the royal edict and water procession, and were bustling with the rhythm of the Paranung drum and the sound of the Saranai trumpet...