The 5th Ban Vuong festival in 2025 will take place on November 21-22 at Son Hai hamlet in Ba Che commune, Quang Ninh province. This annual event honors ancestor Ban Vuong, the forefather of the Dao people, and aims to preserve and promote the community’s rich cultural traditions.
Thanh Y and Thanh Phan Dao women in Ba Che district embroider their traditional costumes.
Accordingly, the opening ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. on November 21, featuring traditional rituals and an art program reenacting The legend of Ban Vuong - “The sun’s dream”, performed by the Thuan Viet Art Center. The ceremony will also showcase unique Dao cultural practices such as the fire-jumping ritual of the Thanh Phan Dao and a reenactment of the traditional wedding ceremony of the Thanh Y Dao.
Throughout the festival, residents and visitors can enjoy a variety of experiential activities, including tours of the Mieu Ong - Mieu Ba relic site and local pottery kilns; discovering Dao culture, cuisine, and traditional crafts; and visiting OCOP product booths. Many artistic performances praising the origins of Ban Vuong and celebrating the cultural identity of the Thanh Y and Thanh Phan Dao groups will also be staged for the community and tourists.
The fire-jumping ritual is one of the most distinctive traditions of the Ban Vuong festival.
Dao ethnic girls perform the bamboo pole dance during the festival.
On the morning of November 22, the unique Dao ritual “The voyage across the sea” will be reenacted by 12 artisans. The festive section will also include cooking competitions, folk games, crossbow shooting, flute performances, cultural exchanges, and various community activities.
The 5th Ban Vuong festival in 2025 reflects the strong sense of community cohesion and deep pride in the ancestral roots of the Dao people. It also serves as an opportunity to promote the image of Ba Che to visitors from within and beyond the province.
By Pham Hoc