The Roong Pooc Festival of the Giay people: A cultural school in the middle of the rice fields

Mr. Ma The Anh, Director of the Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibitions, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said: “Roong Pooc” in the Giay language means “going down to the fields”. The festival is usually held in the first lunar month, on the widest and flattest rice field in the village. From early morning, people in traditional costumes gathered in large numbers, bringing offerings of products they had made themselves: five-colored sticky rice, rice cakes, boiled chicken and herbal rice wine. The shaman performs a solemn ritual, praying to the God of Agriculture and the God of the Land for favorable weather, protection from pests and diseases and a bountiful harvest of rice and corn.

The sacred highlight of Roong Pooc is the ritual of plowing and sowing the first seeds of the year. The furrows are plowed to the rhythmic sounds of drums and gongs, as if awakening the entire rice field. The Giay people believe that if the day of going to the fields goes smoothly and joyfully, then the harvest will be prosperous. This is not only a spiritual belief, but also a motivation for each family to start production with enthusiasm.

The profound value of the Roong Pooc festival lies in its philosophy of living in harmony with nature. The Giay people consider the land to be the source of their livelihood, so each ritual expresses gratitude to heaven and earth. The festival serves as a reminder to future generations to work diligently, preserve water resources and protect their fields. In that space, the elders pass on their production experience, seed selection methods and cultivation techniques; the younger generation receives, inherits and innovates. Roong Pooc is therefore a “cultural school” in the middle of the rice fields.

Following the solemn ceremony, the festivities continued with lively folk games such as throwing the ball, tug-of-war and spinning tops. Laughter and chatter echoed across the fields, bridging the gap between families. The festival became an opportunity for the community to strengthen bonds, for young men and women to meet and for relationships to be nurtured. It is this spirit of solidarity that forms the foundation for the stability and development of the village.

In recent years, Roong Pooc has been restored and organized on a larger scale, attracting many tourists to the Giay ethnic villages in Lao Cai province. Visitors can not only participate in the traditional rice planting ceremony but also enjoying traditional cuisine, learning about brocade weaving and buying local agricultural products. As a result, many households have additional income from community tourism, homestays and cultural services. Traditional culture has become a resource for socio-economic development, contributing to improving material living standards.

During the festival, many village elders and leaders shared their joy at the changes in their homeland. Village roads have been paved with concrete, the irrigation system has been invested in and new crop varieties have yielded higher productivity. Programs supporting the development of ethnic minority and mountainous regions have helped people confidently transform their production methods and increase their income. Therefore, the festival not only prays for a good harvest and prosperity, but also expresses the deep faith of the Giay people in the Party’s policies and guidelines and the State’s laws and regulations, Mr. Ma The Anh further shared.

Between the lush green spring fields, the image of the Giay people holding hands in their traditional dance affirms: Unity is strength and labor is the path to prosperity. Roong Pooc has opened up new hope, hope for a bountiful harvest, a happy life and the support of the government in the journey of development.

The Roong Pooc festival is therefore not only a unique cultural feature of the Giay people, but also a symbol of their aspiration for progress. In the resounding drumbeats echoing through the mountains and forests of Lao Cai province, the belief in a prosperous new year is spreading, like spring seeds sown in the fields, promising a bountiful harvest on our homeland…