About Cao Bang in the Thanh Minh season – The beauty of kinship and roots.

Every lunar March, Cao Bằng is bustling with the atmosphere of the Thanh Minh Festival – an occasion for descendants to pay homage to their ancestors, preserving the moral principle of “drinking water, remembering the source.”

People do not necessarily have to go on the exact day of the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month, but can choose a suitable time during the Thanh Minh period of March, depending on the conditions and daily schedules of each household.

The Tay and Nung people of Cao Bằng, even when working far away, always arrange to return home to celebrate the Thanh Minh Festival

For the Tay and Nung people, this is not just a holiday, but also a meaningful time for family reunions. In the minds of the local people, Thanh Minh Festival - the day of tomb visiting - is even more solemn, sacred, and anticipated than the Lunar New Year.

Before Thanh Minh day, families are busy preparing offerings such as five-color sticky rice, chicken, pork… The atmosphere of gathering, with each person doing a different task, creates warmth and connection. Many clans still maintain the tradition of collective tomb visiting, and even those who work far away make an effort to return.
In the early morning, everyone sets off together to visit the graves, cleaning and tidying up the ancestors' graves. The incense sticks lit are a profound expression of gratitude, showing respect for the deceased.

Offerings presented to the ancestors

After that, families gather around a simple meal right at the gravesite. This is not only a time for remembrance but also an opportunity to meet, inquire about each other, strengthen family ties and neighborhood bonds.

After completing the rituals and paying respects to the ancestors, descendants will sit down to eat beside the family grave.

Therefore, the Thanh Minh Festival in Cao Bằng is not just a ritual, but also a beautiful cultural trait, filled with family affection and significance about one's roots.