Journey to Truong Son: Participating in the Rice Dibbling Festival of the Bru-Van Kieu Ethnic Group

The lives of the people here are closely tied to corn, cassava, beans, and wet rice, cultivated along valleys and stream slopes. Herds of buffaloes, cows, pigs, and chickens daily roam the hillsides, blending with the slow and simple rhythm of life of the local ethnic people. Although life remains difficult, with a poverty rate of over 52%, in this harsh land, there is still faith and hope placed in heaven and earth, in crops, in rice and corn seeds... And for that reason, the Rice Dibbling Festival was born – as a sacred ritual, a connecting bridge between humans and nature, between the past and the present.  

Every year on the 7th day of the 12th lunar month, as the cold northeast monsoon winds filter through each forest, and the fields are ready to receive the first seeds, the Bru-Van Kieu people hold the Rice Dibbling Festival. This is not only an important ritual in their spiritual life but also a symbol of faith in heaven and earth, praying for a bountiful harvest, heavy rice ears, healthy people, and an abundant life.  

The festival is usually held on a high mound at the foot of Chong Mountain, where ancient trees provide shade, and the soaring peak seems to reach the blue sky. This is not only a familiar venue for the festival but also a place containing the sacred aura of the mountains and forests, where the Van Kieu people believe the gods are always present, watching over every step of the villagers. 

When the village elder raises his voice to announce the opening of the ceremony, the entire village falls silent in reverence. A large circle is formed, people stand gathered around each other, and in the middle is the sacrificial animal – usually a buffalo, pig, or chicken – chosen to be offered to the deities.  

The village elder – considered a bridge between humans and gods – enters the center of the circle, raises a cup of tube wine, and prays. The prayers float up with the kitchen smoke, with the rich aroma of tube wine, blending into the forest wind and spreading throughout the vast jungle. After the prayers, the men of the village wear baskets on their shoulders, hold hole-poking sticks in their hands, walk around the plot of land, and carefully sow the very first seeds. They believe that when seeds are sown under the witness of the gods, crops will flourish, mother earth will nourish every sprout, and bring a heavy-yielding harvest.  

If the ceremonial part is rich in spiritual color, the festive part is when the villagers enjoy happy, warm moments together. Traditional feast tables are set up in the middle of the yard, featuring familiar dishes like grilled meat, sticky rice, stream fish, and wild bamboo shoots releasing a mouth-watering aroma. Villagers drink tube wine together, sharing plans for the new crop season.  

The lively sounds of panpipes, drums, and gongs resound throughout the village. Bru-Van Kieu young men and women wear colorful brocade skirts, dancing together to traditional music. Joyful smiles, glowing eyes, and warm handshakes – all create a space filled with love and connection, where humans become one with nature and the gods.  

Although modern life is gradually changing day by day, the Rice Dibbling Festival is still preserved by the Bru-Van Kieu people as a part of the ethnic soul. This is not only a ritual to pray for good harvests, but also an opportunity for the younger generation to better understand the traditions of their ancestors, so that love for their homeland and mother earth remains forever strong..  

In recent years, local authorities and cultural organizations have actively supported and promoted the festival so that it becomes a beautiful feature not only of Truong Son, but also of the entire Quang Binh region. Beautiful images of the ceremony and the life of the Van Kieu people have come closer to the community, attracting interest from tourists from near and far.  

Amidst the changes of the era, there are values that remain intact and enduring, just like the vast Truong Son mountains itself. The Rice Dibbling Festival is not only a spiritual ritual, but also an epic song of love for nature and human attachment to heaven and earth.  

If one day you visit Truong Son, try listening to the echoing sound of the panpipes amidst the mountains and forests, feel the warmth from sincere handshakes, and witness the locals sowing the first seeds with all their faith. In this place, every new rice season is not just a harvest, but also a belief, a hope, and a story passed down through generations about the sacred connection between humans and nature. To learn more about Quang Binh culture, don't forget to visit Sovaba Travel – a place that preserves the unique values of this land.