Thai people in Nghe An hold a 'strange' ritual under an ancient tree

Ceremony under the ancient tree

Every year, in Hong Tien 2 village, Chau Tien commune, there are two big festivals. Hang Bua festival at the end of the first lunar month has been held for more than 20 years and is quite famous among tourists from near and far. There is another festival taking place in the ninth lunar month which the residents here as well as many other villages call “pu xua”.

Before coming to the festival, we were informed by Mr. Sam Thanh Hoai - Vice Chairman of Chau Tien Commune People's Committee that: "Pu Xua" is an annual festival of the Thai community in this commune. However, because it is not promoted much, not many people know about it.

People of Hong Tien 2 village prepare offerings to go to the area where the pu xua ceremony will be held. Photo: Huu Vi

From early morning, we were present at Hong Tien 2 village. There were no flags, fans, or loudspeakers like in big festivals. From early morning, in the stilt houses along the way to Muong Chieng Ngam temple, every family was quietly preparing the feast.

In one such kitchen, a woman named Vinh was arranging the “moc” packages on an aluminum tray. A chicken that had been boiled the night before was placed on an antique plate, the kind used only for displaying chicken offerings. Once finished, she put all the offerings into a basket. Mrs. Vinh did not forget to bring a mat and a tray in her hand. Having finished preparing, Mrs. Vinh walked down the stairs, heading towards the temple. Outside, there were also a few people going to the temple. Everyone brought sticky rice, chicken and especially the “moc” packages.

The "pu xua" ceremony is held under the ancient banyan tree. Photo: Huu Vi

The festival did not take place in the temple as we had expected. During the Hang Bua Festival in Spring, worshipping the temple is an important ritual. However, the “pu xua” ceremony took place at the base of a fig tree in front of the temple. The fig tree was probably a hundred years old and cast its shade over a large space.

In the past, Muong Chieng Ngam Temple was built under this tree. Building a temple to worship gods under the old tree is a remarkable and quite popular feature in the spiritual beliefs of the Thai and Khmu communities in the mountainous region of Nghe An.

Wishing you a bountiful harvest!

The atmosphere of the ceremony was quite solemn. Whether arriving early or late, everyone quietly found a place for themselves next to the tree and spread out mats to display the offerings. At 8 a.m., when more than a hundred households in Hong Tien 2 village had arrived, Mr. Lu Van Dung - the village shaman - began the ceremony. In addition to the offerings of each household, there was also the main offering of the whole village, displaying a pig, sticky rice, chicken and a jar of rice wine.

Families attending the "pu xua" ceremony all prepare their own offerings. Photo: Huu Vi

The ceremony was quite quick. The shaman invited the “pu”, that is, the deceased ancestors who had now become the village’s governing gods, to enjoy the benefits, and then bless the people with prosperity and bountiful harvests.

Mr. Lu Van Dung explained: In the past, when people in the area were still farming, this festival had the meaning of praying for a bountiful harvest. Nowadays, the meaning of the festival has changed, it is an occasion for people to express gratitude to the gods for blessing everyone with good health. People of the next generation do not know the original meaning of this ritual anymore.

On the 12th day of the 9th lunar month, all the villages where Thai people live in Chau Tien commune hold the "pu xua" ceremony. The ceremony is organized in the same way. However, according to Mr. Lu Van Chinh in Hoa Tien 1 village, there was a long time ago when this ceremony was not held. In the past 10 years, with the permission of the local government, people have organized it again.

"Because it hasn't been held for many years, when it's held again, the ritual is somewhat faded" - someone who witnessed the "pu xua" ceremony in the 1970s commented.

Through studying spiritual rituals from many different localities in the mountainous region of Nghe An, it can be seen that the “pu xua” festival is one of a series of festivals taking place during the rice harvest season, lasting from the 8th lunar month until the end of the year. Among these are festivals such as “ki moc” (Quy Hop), “buon xao” (Tan Ky, Con Cuong), “khau cam”, “cam pha” (Quy Chau, Que Phong) and the new rice celebration of ethnic minority communities such as Thai, Kho mu, Mong. All of these common festivals have the purpose of praying for a good harvest and expressing gratitude to the gods for bringing a bountiful harvest to the residents.