The 12-lamp initiation ceremony of the Red Dao ethnic group in Lao Cai

The coming-of-age ceremony is a traditional and most important ritual in the cultural heritage of the Dao ethnic group. The coming-of-age ceremony of the Red Dao people in Sa Pa district, Lao Cai province, is not only attractive to the local people themselves, but also draws the attention of many other ethnic groups living in the northern highlands and tourists from all over. We invite you to join author Vu Tien Dung in recreating this coming-of-age ceremony through the photo series "The 12-Lamp Coming-of-Age Ceremony of the Red Dao Ethnic Group in Lao Cai". This photo series was submitted by the author to the Happy Vietnam Photo and Video Contest, organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications .

The 12-lamp initiation ceremony of the Red Dao people.

According to the Dao people's beliefs, a man who has not undergone the coming-of-age ceremony is not considered an adult. This folk ritual has been passed down from ancient times to the present day in the Red Dao community in Sa Pa, expressing their aspiration for a prosperous and happy life. The ceremony is held annually in November, December, or January. The Red Dao people can hold the ceremony for a maximum of 13 people at a time; if there are fewer, the number must be odd (e.g., 3, 5, 7...).

In the initiation ceremony, the shaman begins by beating a drum to invite the ancestors to attend, informing them of the reason for the ceremony. The initiation ceremony involves many rituals taking place both inside and outside the house. Inside the house, the transmission of knowledge takes place through the writings in ancient Dao books and the use of ceremonial objects such as candles, mats, seals, sticks, dice, bags of rice, etc.

Those who are granted the 12-lamp ordination must undergo a training process, mastering the rituals and prayers recorded in the Dao Nôm script.

The initiation ceremony consists of two main parts: the "passing the lamp" ceremony, which includes the presentation, granting the lamp, lowering the lamp, giving the Dharma name, and crossing the bridge; and the "ascending the rank" ceremony, which includes the lighting of the lamp, bestowing the hat, presenting to the Jade Emperor, the red thread ceremony, and visiting the Heavenly Court. The initiation ceremony has many levels, and the number of spirit soldiers granted to the husband and wife varies depending on the level. The first level is the 3-lamp initiation, where the husband receives 36 spirit soldiers and the wife receives 24; the final level is the 12-lamp initiation, where the husband receives 120 spirit soldiers and the wife receives 60. The ceremony usually lasts from 1 to 5 days, including the presentation ceremony and the family slaughtering pigs and chickens to offer to their ancestors. Each level has its own unique rituals, reflecting specific historical and cultural meanings.

One ritual imbued with the sacredness of the ceremony is "leading" the students to the underworld... After the ceremony is completed and the divination is successfully performed, the masters will lead the students to lie down neatly, then place a mask and a pair of chopsticks on their faces. The masters walk around the students three times, chanting prayers while removing the masks. Then, the head master goes to each student's lying position, takes a small sip of tea, spits it onto their stomach, pats their chest, and helps each student sit up in a chair.

According to the Dao people's beliefs, the coming-of-age ceremony is a mandatory custom for men. Only those who have received the ceremony are considered mature men, allowed to participate in important village affairs; those who have not received the ceremony are considered immature even if they live to old age. Those who have received the ceremony, even at a young age, are allowed to participate in important family and community rituals. The Dao people believe that only those who have undergone the ceremony possess the necessary character and virtue to distinguish right from wrong in life, can become useful teachers for the community and people, and are especially recognized as descendants of Ban Vuong – the ancestor of the Dao people. The coming-of-age ceremony of the Red Dao people is one of the most important traditional rituals in the cultural heritage of the Red Dao ethnic group. The coming-of-age ceremony of the Red Dao people in Sapa, Lao Cai, is not only attractive to the local people but is also a custom that needs to be preserved and developed.

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