Every year, when the rice in the fields ripens to a golden yellow, the Xơ Đăng people begin harvesting and holding a festival to celebrate the new rice crop, praying for a year of favorable weather, healthy seeds, fast-growing plants, abundant rice, full granaries of corn, and prosperity and happiness for every household. To learn more about this ritual, Vietnam.vn presents the photo series "New Rice Harvest Festival of the Xơ Đăng People" by author Nguyễn Trường Sáu. The photos were taken during a new rice harvest festival of the Xơ Đăng people in Quảng Nam , reflecting ancient customs and traditions. The festival features many unique and rich community activities, attracting people from neighboring villages and tourists from all over to join in the festivities. The photo series was submitted to the "Happy Vietnam" photo and video contest, organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications . To conduct the ceremony, the village elders and villagers choose an auspicious day, families renovate their houses and staircases, and arrange old items around the house in easily visible places so that the Rice God, returning from the fields, does not feel unfamiliar. To organize the community ceremony, Xơ Đăng men clear the water source, repair the water landing, and erect the ceremonial pole, while Xơ Đăng women prepare sacred items used in the ceremony such as: sacred baskets, pots for cooking rice for offerings, sirh jrông ropes, sirh prệh ropes, fetch water from the source, light fires… all done with the voluntary and enthusiastic spirit of the people of the entire village. In 2024, the "Happy Vietnam" photo and video contest will continue to be organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications in coordination with the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists on the website https://happy.vietnam.vn for all Vietnamese citizens and foreigners aged 15 and above. The competition aims to honor individuals and groups with positive informational products that make practical contributions to promoting a beautiful image of Vietnam to the world . Through this, it helps people at home, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends access authentic images of Vietnam, its people, its achievements in ensuring human rights, and working towards a happy Vietnam.
Each competition category (photos and videos) has the following prizes and prize values: – 1 Gold Medal: 70,000,000 VND – 2 Silver Medals: 20,000,000 VND – 3 Bronze Medals: 10,000,000 VND – 10 Consolation Prizes: 5,000,000 VND – 1 Most Voted entry: 5,000,000 VND. Winning authors will be invited by the Organizing Committee to attend the Award Ceremony and Certificate Presentation, broadcast live on Vietnam Television.

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