The Thanh Minh offering tray on March 3rd of the Cao Bang people.

According to tradition, every year on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month, the descendants of various clans gather in full at the burial site. Everyone works together to clear the weeds, restore the graves to be neat and tidy, prepare clothes, and send offerings of gold paper to the deceased, and especially prepare a tray of offerings presented with all sincerity.

Descendants gather to prepare a tray of offerings presented with all sincerity.

The Thanh Minh feast of the Cao Bang people is a gathering of the culinary essence of the mountainous region, offering ancestors the best and most precious foods. The offerings cannot be sloppy but must be well-prepared with:
1. A boiled golden-skinned rooster, plump and shiny.
2. Fried carp
3. Crispy fried pork belly with a fragrant aroma.
4. Fried bamboo shoots with meat, stuffed tofu, and char siu that strongly reflect the flavor of traditional offerings.

Complete offering tray

5. And the soul of the offering tray – which absolutely cannot be absent – is Khẩu nua Đăm Đeng (multicolored sticky rice). Each grain of sticky rice is fragrant and chewy, with vibrant colors of red, purple, yellow, and green, completely dyed from the plants and flowers of the forest, encapsulating the essence of spring to present to the ancestors.

Khẩu nua Đăm Đeng (multicolored sticky rice) - the soul of the offering tray presented to the ancestors

The Thanh Minh Festival of the Tay and Nung people in Cao Bang is an incredibly unique and special cultural tradition. It transcends the framework of a conventional spiritual ritual to become a miraculous bridge – where the “PAST - PRESENT - FUTURE” intertwine and connect tightly through traditional threads.

Although time may pass and things may change, the principle of "drinking water, remembering the source" shines brightly on the Thanh Minh Festival and remains a precious gem of highland culture, which needs to be cherished, preserved, and illuminated for future generations.