To many riders who join our Vietnam motorbike tours, the customs and habits of the local people in the North of Vietnam are always attract them.
Today, Vietnam Dirtbike travel will introduce you the dance festival of the Red Dao people in Yen Bai province , the popular place in our motorbike tour in North Vietnam. This is the most important religious and cultural ritual of the Dao ethnic group here. It is held from 7pm the 1st and 2nd day of the 1st lunar month to pray for good luck in the new year.
As you can see from the name of the festival, the main ritual consists of dances performed by young men and women under a sorcerer’s direction to the rhythm of gongs. People have different ways of dance (14 styles of dance), each of style has its own meaning. Do Vietnam motorcycle travel here and the local will tell you clearly about them.
The festival is held every 3 to 4 years for people think that civil mandarins and military mandarins are always beside and protect all the adult men and women of the Red Dao people here. The dance is to invite them home so the ancestors will have sufficient power to support the living descendants. If the local people do not organize the festival, The dead will no longer be able to protect the living against natural disasters. The family will suffer business losses and become sick. The festival has been upheld by many generations.
The worshiping ritual is a very important part of the festival, it is the time people review the family’s roots, traditions, production, and achievements. The ritual ends with a dance involving both the sorcerer and the young Dao men.
Besides the festival, the Red Dao people have many things for you to learn, so ride with us for one of the best Vietnam motorcycle tours ever.
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