Then Kin Pang festival has the strong identity of Thai ethnic group in Phong Tho

2025 is the first year Lai Chau province organizes the Then Kin Pang Festival on a provincial scale. The festival is organized in 2 parts: The ceremony with rituals of worship and incense offering, expressing gratitude to heaven, earth, and gods. From there, it expresses the desire for spiritual support, builds faith to overcome difficulties and obstacles in life, and wishes for a prosperous, healthy village, a bountiful harvest, and full granaries of rice.

Then worship ritual at Then Kin Pang Festival. (photo source: laichau.gov.vn )

The festival takes place with rich and diverse activities, recreating the daily cultural activities of the Thai people such as: En cay competition; To ma le; Going around the stone circle; Relay walking on stilts; Tung con; Fishing competition; Experiencing folk games: Crossbow shooting; Tung con; Blindfolded gong beating; To ma le; Crossing Kieu bridge; Traditional costume performance, art exchange and xoe dance performance; Competition to preserve traditional cultural values ​​of the Thai ethnic group; Culinary competition; "Ap ho Pang" performance (hair washing performance) and recreating the river life of the Thai ethnic group (casting nets, casting nets, sand cham...) and experiencing water splashing; Space to display and introduce Thai ethnic culture; Space to display and introduce OCOP products, typical agricultural products of Phong Tho district...

Tung Con competition teams (photo source: laichau.gov.vn )

Fishing net weaving competition at Then Kin Pang Festival. (Photo source: giaoducthoidai.vn)

Ap Ho Pang Festival (hair washing performance) takes place at Nam Lum stream. (photo source: laichau.gov.vn )

Through the Festival , the unique cultural values ​​of the Then Kin Pang Traditional Festival are preserved and promoted in community life in association with tourism development; creating opportunities for artisans and mass art figures to meet, exchange experiences and promote their sense of responsibility in preserving the traditional cultural features of the White Thai people in particular and the Thai people in general, contributing to building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity. Through the Festival activities, it contributes to propagating and educating the tradition of patriotism, love for the homeland, the country, and national cultural values ​​for generations and the sense of responsibility of individuals towards the community in preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage; at the same time, promoting the potential and strengths of local tourism development.

Source: https://svhttdl.laichau.gov.vn/van-hoa-gia-dinh/phong-tuc-tap-quan-le-hoi/le-hoi-then-kin-pang-mang-dam-ban-sac-cua-dan-toc-thai-o-phong-tho.html