Excitement fills the countryside of Nghe An province as people celebrate Independence Day.

Rich in national identity

These days, the people of Chau Hanh commune (Quy Chau district) are eagerly celebrating Independence Day. Members of the cultural troupe are preparing gongs and drums, every household is hanging flags, making buffalo horn-shaped cakes, and preparing rice wine to celebrate the holiday. With the message "Celebrate Independence Day, preserve the cultural identity of the Thai ethnic group," for many years, Independence Day has been celebrated by the Thai villages in Chau Hanh commune as an official holiday for the people. Throughout the villages, there are cultural and artistic activities, as well as sports such as gong playing, folk dancing, and drinking rice wine...

In the border district of Kỳ Sơn, the Hmong community in this remote area celebrates Independence Day in a unique way, associated with a bullfighting festival. From the beginning of August, the fighting bulls are meticulously cared for in preparation for the festival. Each bull is worth hundreds of millions of dong, a source of pride for each Hmong family. Families whose bulls are chosen to fight in the festival are very proud. After the bullfighting ceremony ends, the villagers slaughter pigs and chickens to celebrate. Participating families usually contribute to a communal feast, and all members enjoy themselves with jars of rice wine and dance all night long.

Mr. Tho Ba Re, Vice Chairman of the Ky Son District People's Committee, said: "The Mong people's Independence Day celebration lasts from August 29th to September 2nd, but the most lively day is September 1st. To attend the festival, the Mong people prepare many days in advance. They choose their most beautiful and vibrant costumes. Men wear headscarves, necklaces, and carry flutes on their shoulders, while women dress up in bright, colorful dresses and go to the market. During these days, people in the Mong villages of Ky Son district hang many red flags to celebrate National Day. Young people from distant villages flock to central villages like Huoi Tu and Muong Long to participate in games... This is also an opportunity for Ky Son district to attract a large number of tourists and to showcase its unique traditional culture and attractive destinations to visitors from near and far..."

Excited to review the team.

From the beginning of August, hundreds of Young Pioneers from Dien Ky commune (Dien Chau district) flocked to the village and commune cultural centers to practice the Young Pioneer rituals. This tradition has existed for decades in this rural area. Although it takes place every year, for the people here, each year is a new and exciting event. While the children practice in the field, every day, from 7 PM after dinner, the elderly men and women set up chairs to cheer on their children and grandchildren. For them, this is also a fun activity not only for the children but for the entire community.

Mr. Nguyen Van Trong, head of Dong Ky B village, said: "For more than a month now, our village and other villages in Dien Ky commune have been bustling with the sounds of drums, songs, and cheers during rehearsals. Not only children but also adults are eagerly awaiting the National Day parade. To support the children in preparing for the parade, Dong Ky village has mobilized about 100 million VND from donations sent by children working far away in the South, North, and abroad. 'Even though we are far from our homeland, everyone is excited about National Day and the parade, because these are holidays associated with the childhood memories of every Dien Ky resident,' Mr. Trong said."

Mr. Truong Nhu Nghia, a cultural officer in Dien Ky commune, said: "The atmosphere of preparation for National Day in Dien Chau district in general and Dien Ky commune in particular is very unique. Even though the number of youth union members has decreased significantly, and the lives of young people are greatly affected by the digital age, every August, the whole commune is bustling with activity as they practice the Youth Union rituals and perform cultural shows. To date, the funds that the villages have raised through social contributions for the activities of this important holiday have reached 1 billion VND."

Mr. Dao Hong Thanh, Head of the Culture and Information Department of Dien Chau District, said: “Dien Chau District has a long tradition of celebrating Independence Day. Every year at this time, people, even those working far away, return to their hometowns to enjoy the atmosphere of the drum parade, the pig-slaughtering teams, and to immerse themselves in the general atmosphere of their homeland celebrating National Day...”

Not only in Dien Chau district, but also in many localities in the province such as Hung Nguyen, Yen Thanh, Thanh Chuong, and Nam Dan, the atmosphere of preparation for Independence Day is very lively. In Nam Cat commune, Nam Dan district, these days, every household in the villages is busy cleaning their houses and tidying up altars to hang pictures of President Ho Chi Minh. When the household chores are finished, without being told, everyone goes out to clean the village roads and hang red flags with yellow stars everywhere to celebrate National Day. Mr. Vuong Hong Thai - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Dan district said: "Throughout the 19 communes and towns in the district, these days everyone is living in the atmosphere of celebrating Independence Day. For the people of Nam Dan, Independence Day is not only a holiday and a time for family reunions, but also a day to express gratitude to the great President Ho Chi Minh..."