The Dao Lu Gang's coming-of-age ceremony in Lang Son is usually held in November, December or January according to the lunar calendar. The Dao Lu Gang can have up to 13 people in a batch, if less, it must be an odd number (3, 5, 7...). A coming-of-age ceremony of the Dao Lu Gang requires very elaborate preparation, some families have to prepare years in advance. Regarding the offerings, the homeowner must prepare pigs, chickens, sticky rice... to worship the ancestors and follow the gods of Ban Vuong (the ancestor of the Dao people).
Let's learn about the customs of this ceremony through the photo album "The 7-lamp initiation ceremony of the Dao Lu Gang in Lang Son" by author Tran Cong Dat, to see that the rituals performed in this ceremony have a very high national tradition, expressed in the teachings recorded in the initiation ceremony. The photo series was submitted by the author to the Photo and Video Contest Happy Vietnam - Happy Vietnam, organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications. 
For Dao Lu Gang men in Lang Son province, if they have not undergone the Coming of Age Ceremony, even if they become biologically mature, get married, have children, grow old and die, they are still not considered adults and will not be allowed to participate in important community affairs. 
Therefore, the Cap Sac ceremony is an important ritual and has been passed down through generations of the Dao ethnic group in general and the Dao Lu Gang ethnic community in Lang Son province in particular. 
A Dao Lu Gang coming-of-age ceremony requires elaborate preparation, some families have to prepare years in advance. Regarding the offerings, the homeowner must prepare pigs, chickens, sticky rice, etc. to worship ancestors and follow the gods of Ban Vuong (the ancestor of the Dao people). 
According to custom, to perform the initiation ceremony, the homeowner must invite 7 shamans, usually Dao ethnic people in the area. Among the shamans, the first and second shamans have the most important roles. 
The homeowner carefully selects the shaman's ability, moral qualities, and family background as well as who they trust the most to be their teacher. Those who receive the ceremony will call the shaman a master. 
Those who apply for the ordination ceremony must wear the traditional costumes of their ethnic group. They must pay special attention to the headdress, because according to the concept of the ceremony, that is where the spirit resides in each person receiving the ordination ceremony. Especially with the Dao Lu Gang ethnic group, a married person who has just completed the ordination ceremony will not be allowed to have sex for a month. In addition, during the husband's ordination ceremony, the wife is not allowed to communicate or stand near her husband. 
In addition, the Dao people in general and Dao Lu Gang in particular believe that the coming-of-age ceremony is an important occasion for every man, a happy day for the community, so relatives and loved ones of the recipient often attend. Many families with children asking for coming-of-age have invited relatives and loved ones many months before the ceremony takes place. It can be said that the coming-of-age ceremony is also a way to make the Dao community more connected. Vietnam.vn
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