Unique forest worshipping ceremony in Na Hau commune

Culture

Unique forest worshipping ceremony in Na Hau commune

Thursday, February 23, 2023

YBO - It is a long-standing custom that on the last day of the first lunar month, the Mong ethnic people in Na Hau commune of Van Yen district, Yen Bai province, holds the “Cung rung” (forest worshipping) ceremony, the biggest traditional and also most important one in a year of local residents, to pray to the Forest God for well-being and prosperity.

An area for the forest worshipping ceremony in Na Hau commune.

The forest worshipping festival of Mong residents in Na Hau begins with the procession of offerings to the "forbidden forest”. The unique and solemn ritual takes place at the foot of an ancient tree at the entrance of the forest. Offerings to the Forest God include a cock, a hen, a black pig, alcohol, incense, and "giay ban” (a type of handmade paper).

The worship of the Forest God has been passed down through many generations of the local Mong people. Each village in Na Hau commune has its own "forbidden forest”, believed to be a sacred forest holding a prime location in that village and concentrating all the quintessence of the nature, to worship the Forest God. Locals also have unbreakable rules related to the practice.

On the last day of the first lunar month, residents across Na Hau commune gather at the "forbidden forests” of their villages to hold the ceremony.

Although the life has witnessed many changes and become more modern, the custom has still been upheld by Mong people in Na Hau.

After the ceremony, villages will ban their residents from entering forests for three days to express gratitude to the Forest God. During those three days, people will have to absolutely adhere to such rules as not cutting down trees in the forests, bringing fresh leaves picked in the forests home, harvesting bulbs or bamboo shoots, digging land, letting their livestock wander, hanging clothes outside to dry, grinding corn, or pounding rice, among others.

To practice the rule properly, women in families have to grind corn, pound rice, make "banh chung” and "banh day” (traditional dishes made from rice), and prepare sufficient food for both humans and livestock from several days before that. This is also an occasion for local Mong people to visit one another, strengthen solidarity, and gear up for a new year of hard work with the confidence that good fortunes will come to everyone and every family.

Giang A Ky, a resident in Ban Tat village in Na Hau commune, said that every spring, Mong people often visit one another to offer the best wishes. They also come to the places with beautiful landscapes to sing folk songs, jointly review the affairs of the old year, extend New Year greetings, and wish one another successes.

The Na Hau forest worshipping ceremony is a unique practice praying for well-being and also helping preserve material and spiritual values of ethnic commodities. It is also a practical contributor to the management and protection of forest resources, the ecosystem, and biodiversity in the Na Hau Nature Reserve and Van Yen district at large.

Besides, it is an occasion for the commune to offer visitors a chance to explore natural forests, enjoy amazing waterfalls and caves, and taste delicacies of Mong people. The development of community-based tourism is expected to help local residents improve their livelihoods and income.

Thu Nhài - Mỹ Vân

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