The Phu La people in Ta Chai commune (Bac Ha district, Lao Cai) still maintain some traditional customs. One of them is the New Year's ghost-sweeping ceremony, with the wish for a peaceful new year, abundant fruit and good luck. What is special is that the people who perform the ghost-sweeping ceremony are the boys in the house, with cheerful shouts, making those who attend the ceremony feel excited and happy.
Author Quang Van Hung recreates this festival through the series of works “Ghost chasing – a big festival of the Phu La people in Bac Ha”. The ghost chasing ceremony is one of the two biggest community festivals of the year of the Phu La people in Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province. This is a folk ritual, both a ceremony – praying to Giang and the mountain god; and a festival, with the participation of all members of the village, young and old. The photo series was submitted by the author to the Photo and Video Contest of Happy Vietnam, organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications.
The Phu La people live in a concentrated group in Ta Chai, and preserve many of their ethnic customs and traditional ceremonies. In the village there is always a shaman, usually a hereditary profession, to perform the ethnic rituals.
Very early, people prepared offerings and gifts together.
The procession goes to each house in the village. Usually, the villagers will choose the direction of the procession so that it only goes in one direction from the first house to the last house, without turning back, until reaching the edge of the forest.
Ghost sweepers will run in circles around the main house before “sweeping” around all the corners of the house.
The boys would run around the house screaming and waving swords to chase the ghost out.
The ghost-expelling ceremony, also known as the ghost-sweeping ceremony, usually takes place on the 30th day of the second lunar month. Usually, the ghost-expelling ceremony attracts the largest number of Phu La people to participate, because this ceremony will take place in all the houses in the village, and ends at the edge of the forest. The remaining festival that also attracts the entire Phu La community in the village, is the forest worship ceremony, usually taking place on the 2nd day of the second lunar month.
The starting point of the ghost-sweeping ceremony is usually the village chief's house. The offerings for the ghost-sweeping ceremony include two white and red chickens, and a dog. Before the ceremony takes place, the men of the Phu La community will go together to get grass ropes to weave ropes to block ghosts, and go to cut branches of a tree similar to the núc nác tree to carve large and small swords.
For the Phu La people in Ta Chai, the ghost-expelling ceremony is very simple in both offerings and implementation, but this is a custom that attracts a lot of community members to participate. Because they can immerse themselves in the joyful atmosphere of the boys with painted faces running around the house to kill ghosts, have a meal together, and wish for a peaceful and safe new year. In particular, the ghost-expelling ceremony of the Phu La people (Bac Ha district) is still maintained today, carrying the meaning of community connection and is a beautiful cultural and traditional belief of the ethnic minorities here.
Vietnam.vn
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