The Gau Tao festival of the Mong people: where tradition blends with modernity

According to Mr. Hang Mi De, former Head of the Mass Mobilization Department of the Ha Giang Provincial Party Committee (now the Tuyen Quang Provincial Party Committee): In the Hmong language, “Gau Tao” means “playing outdoors”. The festival is usually held on a wide open field, where a tall ceremonial pole is erected high in the open air. The head of the household, usually a family praying for children, good health, or peace, presides over the ceremony to give thanks to heaven, earth, and ancestors for their blessings. The shaman, dressed in traditional attire, performs the solemn ritual, reciting prayers for favorable weather, abundant livestock and full granaries of rice and corn.

The profound value of Gau Tao festival lies first and foremost in its belief in life. Amidst the harsh rocky mountains, the Mong people faced many difficulties and hardships. Therefore, the festival is where they find spiritual support, where the community shares joy and dispels anxieties. The ceremonial pole, standing tall in the middle of the festival grounds, symbolizes the aspiration for progress, the hope for growth and prosperity.

The atmosphere in Gau Tao festival is filled with the sounds of flutes, drums, and laughter. Young men play flutes with passion, while young women in brightly colored dresses dance joyfully. Traditional games like pao throwing, spinning tops, and tug-of-war attract large crowds. Hands are joined together, strengthening community bonds. It is in this atmosphere that the Mong cultural identity is passed down and nurtured through generations.

The festival not only has spiritual significance but also contributes to improving material living standards. In recent years, many highland localities in Tuyen Quang province have restored and organized the Gau Tao festival in conjunction with community tourism development… Tourists come to experience the unique cultural atmosphere, enjoy traditional cuisine and buy handicrafts and agricultural products. As a result, many families have additional income, gradually improving their living standards. Culture has become an asset and a driving force for economic development.

In the current context, as the Party and State implement many policies and initiatives to develop ethnic minority and mountainous regions, the Gau Tao festival becomes even more significant in strengthening faith. In many localities, festivals are organized solemnly, safely, in accordance with traditional customs and practices and are linked to the dissemination of the Party’s guidelines and policies, and the State’s laws and regulations. The village elders and leaders incorporate the message of encouraging people not to marry early, not to migrate spontaneously, to actively develop production, and to send their children to school, Mr. Ha Mi De further shared.

Many Mong families share that, thanks to livelihood support programs, assistance with plant and animal breeds and investments in roads and electricity grids, their lives have changed significantly. During the Gau Tao festival, that joy is multiplied as the villagers reflect on the development of their community. Their faith in the Party's policies and guidelines, and in the State's laws and regulations, is demonstrated through their consensus, their commitment to law compliance and their determination to achieve legitimate wealth.

Between the mountains and rocky plateau, the sound of the bamboo flute in the Gau Tao festival resonates like a call from the source. It is not just the sound of the festival, but also the heartbeat of the desire for life. Today, the Mong people still preserve their customs, but they are also proactively learning and applying science and technology to farming, animal husbandry, and tourism development. They understand that praying for blessings and good fortune is not just about prayers, but also about hard work, law compliance and community solidarity…

The Gau Tao festival is therefore a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity. From the tall ceremonial pole in the middle of the festival grounds to the concrete road leading into the village, from the ancient flute melodies to the new production models, everything creates a vibrant picture of a community undergoing transformation. In the cycle of spring, Gau Tao opens up new hope: hope in the power of unity, in cultural identity and in the path of sustainable development under the leadership of the Party and the support of the State.

In the spring sky of the highlands of Tuyen Quang province, the neem tree still stretches in the wind, Mong people send their wishes for a new year of peace, prosperity and development. And from that festival, the desire to live, the desire for prosperity and happiness continues to be lit and spread throughout the village.../.