Bac Kan Festivals

July Full Moon Holiday of the Tay ethnic group in Bac Kan

Held proximately at the same time with Vu Lan Festival of the Kinh ethnic group, the July Full Moon Holiday (also known as Slip Sli Holiday) of Tay people is a chance for everyone to worship their ancestors.

Ba Be Spring Festival

Ba Be Spring Festival is organized in Nam Mau, Ba Be on the 10th day of a year, according to Lunar New Year. This is a big celebration in the beginning of a year, showing many typical cultural customs and habits of the local inhabitants.

Photo : babenationalpark.com.vn

Preparation for the festival is always done carefully before the 10th day comes. They make a plethora of cakes such as Forest Cake, Sky Cake, Khao Cake, Nep Cake… from many different types of flours and wild leaves. A special kind of wine called Khua Quang that is only available at Bac Kan is also used widely during the Festival. Made of the freshest corns planted on the mountain tops, Khua Quang wine has a powerful taste that only one sip can make you feel like walking on the clouds for days. On these days, each town in the district will set up their tent and put many specialities on display to sell.

Photo : alotrip.com

On the morning that the Spring Festival begins, all gifts from every town are offered to the God of Mountain, the God of River, and the God of Lake to ask for a peaceful year with abundant harvests in return. After the drumbeats, performances to welcome the new Lunar year mesmerize the travelers from outside of Bac Kan.

Next, people from different regions organize their unique games (boat racing, traditional martial arts tournaments, dancing, archery, etc.) that attract many visitors. Among those games, boat racing on Ba Be Lake is probably most fascinating. In addition, if you visit Bac Kan at that time, you can also join local ethnic people to sing the harmonious traditional songs.