| Description |
The Xăng Khan Ritual is a day to thank ancestors, thank shamans for teaching them how to prescribe medicine, cure people and thank the gods of the Thai people in Nghe An province. The Xăng Khan Ritual (also known as Kin chiêng boóc mạy) takes place in almost all districts of Nghe An province, including: Que Phong, Quy Chau, Quy Hop, Tuong Duong, Ky Son, Con Cuong, Nghia Dan districts. Xăng Khan Ritual is held every 3 to 5 years, around the 11th and 12th lunar months or in spring at the shamans' houses. Today Xăng Khan Ritual takes place for 1 day and 1 night. The offerings prepared for the Xăng Khan Ritual include: pig's head, rice wine, grilled fish, rice bowl, egg, sword, wine cup, wine bottle, betel and areca... and the indispensable item in the festival is the flower tree (Boóc Mạy tree), made from the trunk of an old bamboo tree or reed tree, 4m long, with many holes carved into many layers, dyed in many different colors such as: green, red, purple, yellow, strung together and beautifully decorated with many patterns and motifs. The flower tree is an important symbol of the Xăng Khan Ritual. Next to the flower tree is a nine-story tower, made from a bamboo frame, tied with silk threads of many different colors.
After fully preparing the items, the shamans begin the ceremony by praying to invite the Mường Gods to come down to earth to receive the blessings that the people give, and eat the offerings that the people bring. The Xăng Khan Festival has many rituals, ceremonies and many performances and fun games. After each ritual (such as: eating the tang tree's intestines, welcoming the spathe, washing hair, opening ceremony, erecting the flower tree, offering to the ghosts...), there is a performance illustrating the content of that ritual. The shamans and the villagers dance around the flower tree (Boóc Mạy tree) to simulate the actions of the gods and ghosts in that ritual with many unique performances such as: Dancing, jumping on the bamboo poles, singing nhuon, singing xuoi, carving the beds, beating gongs, knocking boong bu, blowing the panpipes...
At the end of the ritual, the host directly picks flowers to give to everyone, each flower is a reward symbolizing luck in life. After that, not only the villagers but also visitors from all over the world dance together, blending with the sounds of gongs, drums, rattling the beds, and beating the pipes symbolizing thunder, rain, and fertility with the wish for a bountiful harvest.
The Xăng Khan Ritual contributes to satisfying the needs of daily life and cultural enjoyment, especially spiritual culture of the indigenous Thai community. The Xăng Khan Ritual has deep historical value, closely associated with the formation and development of the Thai ethnic group, creating a distinct cultural identity. With its typical value, the Xăng Khan Ritual of the Thai people in Nghe An was included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2017. |
