The Thai people are enthusiastically reviving the Xỏ Nặm Phạ Festival.
On September 20th, Chau Loc commune solemnly organized the Performance of the Restoration of Pang Xo Nam Pha - of the Thai ethnic group in 2026.
Attending the ceremony were Comrade Trinh Ngoc Chung - Director of the Department of Ethnic Cultures of Vietnam, Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism of Nghe An province, representatives of the Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Fatherland Front Committee of Chau Loc commune, along with a large number of local people and tourists from all over.
The "Xỏ Nặm Phạ" festival is a traditional custom rich in cultural value of the Thai ethnic group in western Nghe An province, including the Thai community in Chau Loc commune. "Xỏ Nặm Phạ" means "asking for water from the sky," where "nặm" means water and "phạ" means sky.
According to documents on the rain-praying custom of the Thai people in Chau Loc region, this custom is highly communal. Old and young, men and women, gather in groups, going from house to house in the village, singing rain-praying songs in the Thai language. Each family becomes part of this cultural practice space, sharing the hope for a better life for their family and the village.
On July 10, 2026, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 1647/QD-BVHTTDL on the Plan for organizing the preservation of traditional festivals in Nghe An province, exploiting and developing products to serve tourism development. Among these, Chau Loc commune was honored to be selected to restore and preserve the Xo Nam Pha festival. This is a great honor and joy for the officials, Party members, and people of Chau Loc commune.
After more than a month of planning and organization, the entire program, including the ceremonial and festive parts, has been completed with the contributions of experts, artisans, elders, shamans, knowledgeable and dedicated individuals, and the mobilization of nearly 300 people from Chau Loc commune to recreate Pang Xo Nam Pha - the rain-praying festival of Chau Loc commune.
The Xỏ Nặm Phạ Rain-Praying Festival holds profound cultural, spiritual, and humanistic values. First and foremost, the festival expresses the Thái people's aspirations for a prosperous life and a life of abundance. Through the rain-praying songs, the community hopes for water for production, irrigation of fields, growth of rice, corn, and other crops, flourishing livestock, family prosperity, and peace in the village.
The festival also reflects the harmonious relationship between humans and nature. The Thai people deeply understand the role of the sky, earth, water, and weather in their lives; thereby demonstrating their respect for nature and their desire for humans to live in harmony with the environment.
Organizing the Xỏ Nặm Phạ Festival in 2026 is a continuation of the traditional cultural heritage, contributing to bringing the positive values of the Thai community from the memories of previous generations back to contemporary life; so that traditional culture truly becomes a source of pride, a strength of unity, and a driving force for the community's development.
