In earlier times, Bhutanese traveled as far south as possible to buy salt, spices, and other basic products in the nearest border towns. Pasakha (formerly the southern gateway) was an important business center for the people of western Bhutan because of its proximity to the nearest Indian towns. After an arduous journey of more than 20 days through the high mountains and after nights spent in the cold, dense jungle, the villagers then reached their home, bringing their daily supplies. A young man from the village of Bja-wo once set out for Pasakha to buy supplies. Upon his return, as he prepared to spend the night in the forest, he lay down under a large tree, placed the heavy basket under his head to rest, and stared up at the sky. He saw the bright moon almost smiling at him and the stars twinkling around him. He thought about the number of nights he would have to spend like this, and wondered if the stars and moon would keep him company during his journey home. He continued his journey home during the day, spending each exhausting night under bushes and trees. Each evening he looked up at the sky and noticed that the brightest star seemed to get closer and closer to the moon each night. When he returned home a few days later, the young man, suspecting an interesting observation in the sky, wanted to know how close the star had come to the moon. The following night, he looked up at the sky and found that the star had come so close to the moon that it almost looked like it was interacting with the moon (this was the narrator's exact interpretation). It was a unique discovery that symbolized a happy moment. Incidentally, the day he made this discovery was the 15th of the 10th month, one of the most auspicious holy days in the Bhutanese lunar calendar. Therefore, the festival of Bja-wo Karma Nya-ru (conjunction of the Pleiades and the full moon) is believed to have originated in Bja-wo village and is still celebrated with great enthusiasm. Nowadays, it is also popularly known as Dogar Nya-ru. Nya-ru is celebrated on the 15th day of the 10th month of the Bhutanese lunar calendar and is considered a special occasion where family and friends scattered all over Bhutan gather on this day and celebrate the auspicious day in each and every home with festivity and joy. On the 13th and 14th day of the 10th month, people who work in the cities, students, businessmen, relatives and basically all people who are from the village gather to celebrate Nya-ru. In this village of Nyo-yue dhuen (old name) or Khamda Sali Chiwog (sub-block) as it is commonly known today, people prepare for the big event by washing their clothes, cleaning themselves, tidying their houses and the men discuss archery that will take place during Nya-ru while the women prepare the menu for the special day in the house and make preparations for Ara (locally brewed wine) and other drinks.

The 600-year-old Serlung Pelkar Chhoeling Monastery in Dawakha, Paro was founded by Drupthop Thangthong Gyalpo (1361-1485) when he built iron bridges for the people in this area. In the meantime, the people living in a place high up on the mountain had to deal with strong winds and storms that caused harm to the people and destroyed crops. The people blamed the infamous lakes in the area. There were two lakes, Yum and Syem (Mother and Daughter), which were believed to be the cause of all the destruction inflicted on the people. In Bhutan, the Bhutanese believe that all living things, including nature, have spirits and are alive within them. For example, the mountains in Bhutan are believed to be the abode of mountain gods, or at least to house spirits. Therefore, people decided to drive away the destructive spirits of the lakes by throwing the dead bodies of people and animals into the lake. The mother lake left its present location for the Dagala region and became known as Dagala Yumtsho, while the daughter lake did not make it further than present-day Selung Goemba. She had problems with her leg. You can still see the remains of the lakes where they rested. The mother advised the daughter to stay in this place and serve as the protector of the Dharma of Drupthop Thangtong Gyalpo in Selung Goemba, and left her her revered Sergi Alung (hook), making the place known as Serlung Goemba. The people of this place considered it auspicious that a lake had formed near a monastery founded by the famous Drupthop Thangtong Gyalpo. The villagers believed that the lake would eliminate famine and bring prosperity to the village, and held a festive sacrifice to ask the spirit of the lake to bless them with protection. The ritual takes place in Selung Goemba once every three years. There is no specific day or month set for its performance, but depends mainly on the availability of the Pawo. The Goemba is a common religious place of worship for the people of Khamdi and Sali and some other neighboring villages.

Sansari Puja (Ritual for the Mother Nature) is the most important cultural event of the Limbu community, Samtse Gewog (block) under Samtse Dzongkhag (district). Sansari Puja is a community festival usually held in April according to the Gregorian calendar to ask blessings from Mother Nature and the deities living in the forest. They have a particular jungle called Limbu lha-kha where they perform this ritual annually. The reason for performing it in the jungle is because of the cleanliness and tranquility of the forest. During this festival, all members of the Limbu community gather to perform a ritual of gratitude and ask for future prosperity. During this ritual, the deities who preside over the jungle according to the community's beliefs are appeased to give thanks for the past successful year and to wish for a peaceful and prosperous life in the future. This festival is always held on one of the Saturdays of April in the Gregorian calendar. Although Saturday is the most suitable day, it can be moved to other days if one of the Saturdays in the month of April is inconvenient for performing the Sansari Puja according to divination. The Sansari Puja is performed every year on a hill known as Limbu lha-kha of Trasher Pu village by erecting a temporary altar where prayers are offered throughout the day for health and a good harvest. All the villagers gather on the quiet hilltop to perform this puja for the worship of Mother Nature and the well-being of all. The reason for performing this festival in the forest is the belief in a clean environment and mountains, and a patron deity who resides in clean places. The pandit or pujari (priest) and his helpers perform the entire festival while the people in the community are joyful and at the same time pray for good health, life and prosperity.

Just like any other communities, the livelihood of Lhops also started with hunting and gathering activities. In the past, Lhops gathered wild edible plants like Burr (Kochu or Colocasia) or Lohbol (Tapoica), and hunted as well as fished. With the recent developments in the community, Lhops have adopted agriculture as their source of food and nutrition, and with the passage of time, agriculture has become a way of life for subsistence and commercial means.

“Kin” means to eat; “Pang” means ceremony, the person attending the ceremony; “Then” refers to the gods in Mường Trời. Kin Pang Then is a festival to celebrate adopted children of the White Thai people. The ceremony is organized by Then workers to meet adopted children to give thanks and celebrate Then's fate. The ritual takes place in early spring (from before the full moon in January to before the full moon in March every year), and is held once every 3 years. Mr. Then himself chose a specific day for his adopted children to know and attend. The day of the Kin Pang Then ceremony must be before the full moon day of the first lunar month. The pang tree is the center of ceremonies and is elaborately decorated. The Then altar and offering tray include many items. On the evening of the first day, Master Then prepared the pan cai offering tray to worship Then, including sticky rice, paddy, betel and areca, wine, eggs, steamed sticky rice, salt, white cloth, cotton thread, silver bracelet, incense, lamp, money, water, flowers, etc. Master Then wears traditional costumes to worship at the Then altar. Báo Khỏa plays the piano, Sao Chay assists him and shakes the bell. After performing the purification and blessing ceremony, Mr. Then asked the patriarch for permission to perform the ceremony. Master Then went to Then village to invite Then to come down and play, celebrate the adopted children's ceremony, and bless the adopted children with good health, prosperous business, and good harvests. After offering offerings to Then, Master Then, Sao Chay, Báo Khỏa, and their adopted children became monks. The next morning, the Then family slaughtered chickens, and pigs, and prepared sticky rice for the offering ceremony. One offering tray is placed at the ancestral worship place (clọ hóng) and one offering tray is placed at the Then altar (hỉnh một). In case Then's parents are still alive, they must ask Then's father to make offerings to their ancestors at the Clọ hóng pavilion. After worshiping the ancestors, Master Then made offerings to each adopted child. The adopted child's offerings include chicken, wine, sticky rice, Chung cake, and 1 piece of white cloth, arranged on separate trays. During the worshiping ceremony, Mr. Then worshiped while resting, drinking wine, drinking water, smoking, and singing back and forth with Báo Khỏa and Sao Chay. After offering offerings to the adopted children, Master Then and Sao Chay performed folk games and had fun with the adopted children.

The Kate Festival of the Cham people is the most important festival of the Cham community in Ninh Thuan, taking place in the 7th month of the Cham calendar every year (around October of the Gregorian calendar). This festival is to commemorate gods such as Po Klaung Garai, Po Rame... and ancestors. The Kate Festival of the Cham people in Ninh Thuan province usually takes place in a large space at the temples and towers: Pô Klong Garai Tower (Do Vinh ward, Phan Rang - Thap Cham city), Pô Rômê Tower (Hau Sanh village, Phuoc Huu commune, Ninh Phuoc district) and Po Inư Nưgar Temple (Huu Duc village, Phuoc Huu commune, Ninh Phuoc district), in order from the temple, tower to the villages and finally to the family, creating a rich and diverse Cham festival flow. The Kate Festival consists of two parts: the ceremony and the festival. The ceremony includes rituals such as: The ritual of receiving clothes from the youngest Raglai brother down from the mountain at 7am; Opening the tower door to invite the gods to attend and enjoy the offerings; The ceremony of bathing the statue of the god; The ceremony of dressing the statue of the god Anguei Khan Aw Kapo; The most important Adaoh Tâm ceremony, starting from 9am - 11am; Kate festival at the temple, tower: The beginning of the Kate festival in Ninh Thuan is the worship ceremony at the temple tower directed by the high priest. The celebrant will play the Kanhi and sing a hymn, offering the gods. After that, the high priest will preside over the statue bathing ceremony performed by some Brahmin priests. The offerings in the Kate festival in Ninh Thuan at the temple tower include: 3 chickens, 1 big goat, 3 loaves of rice cakes, 1 tray of rice with sesame salt, 5 trays of rice with goat meat and soup with fresh fruit. In addition, the offerings also include eggs, wine, sticky rice, betel and areca nuts... After completing the above rituals, people will return to the village and continue other rituals. When the sacred dance in the tower has just ended, the festival outside the tower begins. The Kate festival is similar to the Lunar New Year of the Kinh people. The festival is vibrant with dances, Cham folk songs, Gi Nang drums, Saranai trumpets, brocade weaving performances, pottery making, water carrying competitions, drum beating... Kate festival in villages and families: The worship rituals and the festival part of the Kate festival in Ninh Thuan are held in parallel. Before the festival, villagers will clean the temple together, decorate the village house, and prepare food, drinks, and the yard. According to beliefs, each village will worship a god, but all are village gods. The celebrant - a prestigious person, trusted by the villagers, will represent the people to offer offerings to the gods to pray for good things, luck, and peace. After the Kate Festival in the village, the Cham people will return to their homes to perform the ceremony. The celebrant is the oldest person in the clan. This is the person who will represent the whole family to offer offerings to the ancestors. At this time, all family members are present, dressed neatly and sincerely pray for the ancestors to wish for peace. The Kate Festival expresses the desire for fertility, praying for growth, good crops towards a peaceful and prosperous life. With its great historical and cultural value, the Kate Festival of the Cham people in Ninh Thuan province was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2017.

The Long Tong Festival (Going to the Fields Festival) of the Tay people in Dinh Hoa district, Thai Nguyen province is held in the early days of spring to pray for favorable weather, good crops, bountiful harvests, and a prosperous life. The festival is held in the largest and most beautiful fields. The Long Tong Festival includes a ceremony and a festival. The festival will feature many traditional rituals that have existed for a long time, such as: the Tay people's harvest praying ceremony, San Chay, Tich Dien ceremony; the Dao people's blessing praying ceremony, with traditional rituals imbued with the beliefs of the ethnic groups in Dinh Hoa district. During the ceremony, each family prepares a tray of offerings including chicken, pork, boiled eggs, Chung cake, sticky rice, various types of sticky rice cakes, Khao cakes, Lam tea... to offer to the gods. On each tray of offerings, there is a colorful flower-shaped cake and two pairs of cones made of fabric with many colorful tassels and seeds of all kinds. The offering trays of the village are carefully selected, must be larger, more numerous, more beautifully decorated than the offering trays of the families and must include a pig's head. The offering trays are arranged in a straight line, the master of ceremonies (usually a Taoist or Mo master), is called "Pú mo". "Pú mo" stands in front of the offering trays of the village to thank heaven and earth, the gods for blessing the villagers, at the same time the villagers light incense, pour wine. After the prayer of thanks, "Pú mo" continues to pray for rain, an assistant carries a basin of water standing next to it, many others hold palm leaves walking from the worship place to the end of the field. After praying, "Pú mo" sprinkles water around, implying that heaven is sending rain, the villagers gather around, everyone wants to catch those drops of water symbolizing luck. After sprinkling water, "Pú mo" takes seeds from the offering trays and sprinkles them around, the villagers mix those seeds with the seeds they choose to plant. Next, the men will plow the first furrows, while the women will show off their planting skills. After the ceremonies, the villagers will celebrate together, wishing each other good health, good luck, full barns of rice, full yards of pigs and chickens, etc. During the festival, there will be a Tich Dien ceremony, a planting competition, dry puppetry, folk games: throwing cones, lion dances, martial arts, tug of war, stilt walking, tug of war, stick pushing, singing and responding between men and women, etc. The Long Tong Festival (going to the fields) is one of the festivals held annually by the Tay ethnic group in Thai Nguyen, associated with agricultural beliefs, to express respect and gratitude to the gods of the forest, the gods of the mountains, the gods of the sky and the gods of the earth, and the wishes for a prosperous life imbued with the identity of the indigenous Tay people. Through this, the festival activities also contribute to promoting valuable landscapes and historical relics to boost local tourism development. This is a long-standing traditional festival of the Tay people in the Viet Bac region, recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2017.

Tản Viên Sơn Thánh, also known as Son Tinh, is a saint associated with the legend of fighting against nature and foreign invaders to preserve the country. He is one of the "four immortals" of Vietnamese gods. The Worship of Tản Viên Sơn Thánh covers a large cultural space in the Northern Delta region, of which the most concentrated is the Xu Doai region (the core area is Ba Vi district). The Worship of Tản Viên Sơn Thánh is practiced by the people of Ba Vi district - Hanoi at over 100 relics in the area, typically the relic cluster of Thuong temple, Trung temple, Ha temple (in the area of Ba Vi and Minh Quang communes), Tay Dang communal house (in Tay Dang town), Thuy Phieu communal house (Thuy An commune), Khe Thuong communal house (Son Da commune).... Every year, on the full moon day of the first lunar month, local people organize a festival with rituals and orations recalling the merits of the saint. During the ceremony, the head of the incense (the representative of the people in the area) will read the eulogy recalling the merits of Tản Viên Sơn Thánh in a solemn atmosphere, in which special emphasis is placed on the royal decree with the honorary titles. The festival includes many performances that reflect the traditions of martial arts and the diligence and creativity of the people in their labor, such as lion dance, dragon dance, swing playing, wrestling, cockfighting, boating, duck catching, climbing bridges... These activities all recall the merits of Tản Viên Sơn Thánh in teaching people how to farm and train the army... On the 6th day of the 11th lunar month, Ba Vi district organizes an incense offering ceremony to commemorate the death of Saint Tản Viên. In addition to the usual offerings such as chicken, pig, sticky rice, wine, incense and flowers, each place worshiping Tan Vien Son Thanh in big parties has its own offerings. Among them, the indispensable offering is a pig or chicken with jet-black fur. If the pigs and chickens offered to the Saint have white feathers, the whole village will not have good business that year... The Worship of Tản Viên Sơn Thánh is imbued with humanity, looking back to the origin, expressing the desire to conquer nature and towards a better life of people. The Worship of Tản Viên Sơn Thánh has a particularly important meaning in the spiritual life of the people of Ba Vi district. He is not only the patron saint of the village but is also revered by the people as the First God of Fortune, the Supreme God, and the national hero, the hero of opening the land and controlling the water, the hero who enlightened the culture of our nation since the founding of the country. With its great cultural heritage value, on January 30, 2018, the Worship of Tản Viên Sơn Thánh in Ba Vì was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage in Decision No. 266/QD-BVHTTDL.

The Pang A Peace Begging Ritual of the La Ha is a ritual to pray for peace, to thank the gods, and to thank the shaman for those who have been cured of illness (adopted children). The ceremony is held annually, in March of the solar calendar, when the Ban flowers and rice flowers are in full bloom, the rain has fallen and the bitter bamboo shoots have grown, or when the poinsettia flowers are in full bloom. In the Pang A Peace Begging Ritual, the Xang Bok tree is an indispensable decorative element, made from the hook tree and wild banana, placed in the middle of the house. The hook tree (lam la) symbolizes the black buffalo, the hook tree dies and turns into a black buffalo, the wild banana tree (lam toc) symbolizes the white buffalo, which are friends of farmers. On this occasion, adopted children from all over come to offer offerings to the gods, to repay the efforts of their adoptive fathers, to have fun together, and to exchange feelings. Depending on the family's conditions, the severity of the illness being cured, whether they are long-time or new adoptees, the adopted children prepare appropriate offerings. The scale of the Pang A Festival depends on each shaman. If the shaman is skilled, has many years of practice, and has many adopted children, the scale of the festival will be large. The rituals include: ancestral worship, worship for the homeowner's soul, worship to invite the gods to attend, worship to send the ancestors' souls to heaven, performing a performance describing a cured illness, plowing and harrowing... When the shaman finishes, his adopted children take turns placing the products they brought on the table for him to worship and invite the gods to come and receive blessings and bless his descendants with good health, good crops, and the growth of buffaloes, cows, pigs, chickens... Around the Xang Bok tree, there are scarf dances, sword dances, tang bu dances, rain-praying drum dances, penis dances (horns), con throwing competitions... The props for the dance include bu (bamboo tubes), cloth scarves, plows, harrows, swords, shields made of wood, bamboo... When the sound of the drums and gongs sounds, each person holds a piece of bamboo and starts dancing tang bu around the wooden board, they follow the rhythm of the drums, gongs and the rhythm of the bamboo tubes. After about 3-4 rounds, they howl together and then return, like that, the dance lasts about 1 hour. In the afternoon, the master continues to pray for his adopted children who come from far away and drink rice wine. The Pang A Peace Begging Ritual contains great humanistic values, with high educational value in the La Ha community in Muong La, Quynh Nhai, Thuan Chau districts, Son La province. The festival reminds descendants to remember the merits of the doctors who cured them of their illnesses, and reminds descendants to remember their roots.

The Harvest Festival of the San Chay People in Phu Luong district is held annually before or after the Lunar New Year, praying for good crops, budding trees, full granaries, full chicken coops, a prosperous and peaceful life. On the day of the festival, each family in the area prepares their own offerings at the village communal house, including offerings such as: sticky rice, chicken, pig's feet, pig's head or replaced by cooked pig's tail, intestines; wine, betel and areca nuts...; 1 tray of croissants, bánh lẳng and other cakes typical of the San Chay people. The indispensable items during the ceremony are the accompanying ancient paintings. A complete set of ancient paintings by the shamans includes 28 sheets of paintings, with different images. The festival takes place at the shrine of the local god, in the communal house. When the offerings are ready, the assigned men carry the tray of offerings into the communal house, led by the head of the village. Before performing the ceremony, the Master Tén (shaman) carefully checks the altars, musical instruments, and props. The Master Tén asks for three drum beats and begins the ceremony. The Master Tén's prayer includes remembering the ancestors' merits, reporting their achievements, and thanking the gods for their protection so that the house is full of rice, the yard is full of chickens, and all people are safe and happy... The end of the ceremony is when the unique Tac Xinh dance takes place - the highlight of the Harvest Festival. The Tac Xinh dance has a simple rhythm, easy-to-understand language, and dance movements. The musical instruments are just percussion instruments made mainly from bamboo or wood, but they create bustling clappers. In addition, there are also the combined sounds of small drums, cymbals, gongs, leaf trumpets, bells, and clay drums. The Tac Xinh dance includes the following movements: Visiting the road, establishing the village, making decisions, sharpening knives, clearing the fields, checking the stakes, picking, celebrating the harvest or doves... creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere. At the Harvest Festival, visitors can also enjoy the love songs "Sinh ca", singing Soong Co; throwing con, bamboo dancing, going to the monkey bridge, chess... and participate in folk games taking place throughout the village yard. The Harvest Festival with many characteristics of the San Chay ethnic group in Phu Luong, has a noble humanity, is a spiritual bridge between heaven and earth and people, expressing the desire to conquer nature of the working people. The Harvest Festival of the San Chay People was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018.

An important ritual in the life cycle of a person, for a shaman, an adult man, sometimes a woman. Through the initiation ceremony, it marks the man's maturity before the community and ancestors. The man is granted a title, granted a rank of spirit soldiers, recognized by the ancestors as a descendant, given a dharma name, worshiped by his parents and ancestors when alive, and met the Jade Emperor when dead. When performing, the family invites 9 shamans to organize the ceremony, of which 2 are the masters. To be ordained, the ordained person and the 9 shamans must go through 15 steps. At each step, there are many small ceremonies - each ceremony has different content but all have the same meaning of inviting the gods to give glory to the disciple. The coming of age ceremony usually goes through 3 levels, each time the level increases, the dharma name is changed and more spirit soldiers are granted to increase power and authority. The title ceremony begins with a petition. Offerings include 3 to 5 chickens, incense, flowers, fruit cakes, white wine, water... a positive paper, a negative paper, a petition. The person receiving the ceremony reaches the level of a Dharma Master. The Dharma Master performs the ceremony himself in his family, performs the usual rituals of praying and paying respects such as praying to ward off bad luck, praying for peace, praying for blessings, protecting the house, etc. The second time is the ordination ceremony. The ordination ceremony, a mandatory procedure, marks the maturity of the shaman, officially recognizing him as a member of the shaman profession of the San Diu people. After fully preparing the offerings, the shamans perform the ritual of purifying and protecting the altar, praying to the gods, offering wine and fruits, cakes, inviting the Three Thousand Dharma Masters, gods, and guardian spirits to descend to the altar. Next is the ceremony of recruiting heavenly soldiers, inviting thousands of heavenly soldiers, generals, gods, and masters to attend the ceremony. 37 gods are invited to witness the ordination ceremony. Coming to the ceremony of presenting the petition to the saints; presenting the token and seal of the person receiving the ceremony; offering and reporting the petition; offering the red scarf; ritual of establishing the throne; transmitting the signal of the Saint; providing military provisions; giving thanks; giving the grand rite. The petition of the shaman transmitted to the person receiving the ceremony consists of 24 papers. The papers with the sound are immediately burned. All the rituals take place continuously for two days and one night. The shaman who is ordained for the third time will reach the rank of Tong Xuyen. This is the highest rank for a shaman. The Cap Sac ceremony of the San Diu people in Thai Nguyen was included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Đào Xá Festival, also known as the elephant procession festival, is held for 3 days, from January 27 to 29, of which the 28th is the main festival day to honor the merits of Tutelary God - Đức Thánh Phụ Hùng Hải Công in teaching people to control water, cultivate, raise livestock, and build prosperous villages. The ritual includes the procession of elephants, incense altars, precious dragons, tablets, royal coffins, and worship of Tutelary God. "Mr. Elephant" is a typical feature of the festival with the shape, size, and color of a real elephant, with very vivid legs, tusks, trunk, ears, and eyes. The festival is organized with many folk games such as wrestling, robbing chickens, fetching water, pounding rice, and competing in fire-making... The festival reflects historical values, cultural activities, agricultural beliefs in wet rice farming, and water god worship of the residents of Phú Thọ. This is an occasion for local people to remember their ancestors who built the country and villages, pray for blessings, good luck, favorable weather, good crops, peace for the people and prosperity of the country.