The festival served as an opportunity to promote the “Yen Chau Mango” brand, honor mango growers, and create a platform for them to exchange experiences and enhance their knowledge. Attending the event were Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, and Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation Nguyen Dinh Viet; Former Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People’s Council Hoang Van Chat; Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee Trang Thi Xuan; Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Chairwoman of the Provincial Party Committee’s Inspection Commission Luong Thi Van Anh; representatives of the Vietnam Association for the Conservation of Nature and Environment; leaders of various provincial departments and agencies; the Standing Committees of the District Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee, and Fatherland Front Committee of Yen Chau District; heads of district-level agencies and units, along with a large number of local residents and visitors.

The Yen Chau Mango Festival is an annual event organized by the People’s Committee of Yen Chau District, first launched in 2017. This year, the district once again selected Kha Village in Sap Vat Commune as the main venue for the festival’s activities. Kha Village holds great potential and advantages for developing community-based tourism, with dozens of hectares of century-old round mango trees located within a designated geographical indication area. Notably, the village still preserves traditional stilt houses and unique cultural features of the Thai ethnic group, such as the Dong Sua Festival, Xoe dance, traditional costumes, and various handicraft traditions.

At the festival, a variety of engaging activities took place, including the Dong Sua Festival and an art performance program featuring vibrant cultural shows that highlighted the rich ethnic identity of Yen Chau District. These performances were delivered by artists from the Center for Communication and Culture and local grassroots art troupes. Several competitions and interactive events were also held, such as: agricultural product exhibition booths; mango-picking contests; Xoe dance competitions; traditional and modernized ethnic costume showcases; craftsmanship and skill-based contests; traditional folk games; and guided tours of local mango orchards.

Also during the festival, leaders of the Vietnam Association for the Conservation of Nature and Environment announced the decision and presented Certificates recognizing five Vietnamese Heritage Trees. These include: a tamarind tree and a mango tree in Kha Village, Sap Vat Commune; a banyan tree and a tea tree in Luong and On Oc Villages, Muong Lum Commune; and a dracontomelon tree in Na Nga Village, Chieng Hac Commune. These trees, each hundreds of years old, stand as living witnesses of history and are deeply connected to the cultural and spiritual lives of many generations of local residents.

On the morning of May 30, visitors and local residents had the opportunity to visit and experience the “Dong Sua” Festival at the sacred forest of Kha Village. The festival is an integral part of the folk beliefs and spiritual life of the Thai ethnic community. Through the rituals, people pray for good health, abundant harvests, and general well-being for everyone in the village. Mr. Quang Van Phanh, a respected elder of Kha Village, Sap Vat Commune, shared: “This festival has been passed down by our ancestors for generations. Every year, we hold it in this sacred forest to ask Heaven and Earth to bless us with favorable weather, lush crops, and good health for all villagers. We pray for peace, prosperity, and happiness—for our maize and rice to grow well, and for our pigs, chickens, buffaloes, and cows to thrive. The festival is a time for people to express gratitude to the village founder and to take a well-deserved break to celebrate after months of hard work.”

Mrs. Me Thi Bua, a resident of Kha Village, Sap Vat Commune, shared: “Every year during the Dong Sua ritual, each household prepares a white cloth, a red cloth, a traditional Thai shirt, a pair of bracelets, a pack of sticky rice, and a bottle of liquor. They also slaughter a pig or a cow as offerings for the Dong Sua ceremony. Through these offerings, people pray for their children to do well in school and for good health among villagers. We ask for favorable weather, gentle winds, and bountiful harvests.”

Exciting, vibrant, and drawing large crowds of locals and visitors, the mango-picking competition was one of the festival’s highlights. A total of 11 teams from various communes and townships participated in the event, which took place in the orchard of Mr. Me Van Duc in Kha Village, Sap Vat Commune. The orchard, home to 100 mango trees planted in 2000, is known for its trees laden with fruit. The competition featured two challenges: picking mangoes using poles from tall, mature trees and a blindfolded mango-picking round. Each team consisted of two members—one male and one female—dressed in traditional ethnic costumes. They had 15 minutes to harvest mangoes without climbing, shaking the trees, breaking branches, hitting the fruit, or causing any damage to the trees or the fruit quality. The team collecting the highest number of mangoes was declared the winner.

Also at the site, visitors had the opportunity to experience fruit picking in ancient mango orchards. Under the shade of decades-old trees with wide-spreading canopies and branches heavy with fruit, tourists found great enjoyment in this unique form of experiential tourism.

As part of the event series, under the canopy of ancient mango trees in Kha Village, a product display competition was held, featuring 14 teams from various communes and townships across the district. Each booth was uniquely decorated to reflect the local identity of its respective area. Particularly eye-catching were the elaborately arranged mango displays, creatively shaped and rich in symbolism, drawing crowds of visitors to view and purchase the products. The Yen Chau Mango Festival also served as an opportunity for localities to showcase other agricultural and handicraft products, such as vegetables, plums, bananas, rice, traditional farming tools, and musical instruments. All products were clearly labeled with prices, along with the names and addresses of the individuals or groups responsible for their production or processing. Presenters provided detailed explanations of the production processes and the origins of the showcased items.

Ms. Ha Thi Hoai, a daughter of Yen Chau currently living and working in Moc Chau District, shared: “Today, returning to attend the Mango Festival in my hometown, I feel truly happy and proud. Yen Chau truly deserves to be called the land of sweet bananas and fragrant mangoes—a place where the taste of mangoes and bananas is unmatched anywhere else.”

Notably, in the Xoe dance and ethnic costume performance competition, thanks to thorough preparation—from musical instruments to staging—the amateur performers skillfully showcased the distinctive movements of traditional Xoe dances, harmoniously blended with modern interpretations. The performances were both vibrant and graceful, vividly reflecting the spirit of daily life. They captivated a large audience, as locals and visitors joined hands in a friendly and open atmosphere, expanding the xòe circle to warmly welcome guests from near and far.

At the conclusion of the festival, the Organizing committee awarded 8 first prizes, 8 second prizes, 8 third prizes, along with consolation prizes across 8 competition categories to teams from various communes and townships.

Son Tran – Duong Hoang

Translated by Huyen Vu