About The Thạch An Festival Of Nàng Hai On May 7-8, 2026.

The Nàng Hai Festival, also known as the Nàng Trăng Festival, is a unique folk festival in the cultural and spiritual life of the Tày ethnic group. The festival is associated with the worship of Mother Moon, praying for good harvests, a prosperous life, and peace.

Today, the festival is still preserved and maintained, becoming an attractive traditional cultural feature for local people as well as tourists who love folk culture.

Time and Venue

The festival is held on May 7-8, 2026, which corresponds to March 21-22 of the Year of the Horse, in Hợp Thành hamlet, Thạch An commune, Cao Bằng province.

Previously, this area belonged to Tiên Thành commune, the old Quảng Hòa district, now Thạch An commune, Cao Bằng province.

Religious Significance of the Festival

According to the folk belief of the Tày people, on the moon, there is Mother Moon and twelve fairy maidens who are her daughters. Every year, Mother Moon and the maidens take care of and protect the harvests for people on earth.

The Nàng Hai Festival symbolizes the journey of humans from the earthly realm to the sky to welcome Mother Moon and the fairy maidens to assist the villagers in their agricultural work.

The Worship of Mother in Tày Culture

Not only a harvest prayer festival, the Nàng Hai Festival also reflects the worship of Mother in the beliefs of the Tày people. This stems from the belief that emphasizes the role of women in agricultural production.

The Tày people associate the image of the moon with femininity, viewing the Moon as the great mother who governs the earthly realm, especially in agricultural work. Therefore, the Moon Maiden is considered the daughter of the Sky King, entrusted with the task of taking care of the harvests for humanity.

Preparations for the Festival

Before the festival takes place, the locals choose a large, flat piece of land to set up the festival. A tent called a "mẻ mành" is erected, covered and enclosed with floral fabric in a U-shape around the festival ground.

The central area is where Nàng Hai sits to perform the rituals, covered with floral mats and decorated elegantly. The head and tail of the village erect a welcoming gate to greet guests. Families in the village prepare savory dishes with traditional foods to welcome guests and participate in the festival competitions.

Main Parts of the Festival

The Nàng Hai Festival consists of three main ritual parts:

The Welcome Ceremony for Hai

This is the first ritual of the festival. The shaman, or the ritual master, goes to the land deity's shrine to ask for permission and invite Mother Moon to descend to the earthly realm.

When the shaman invokes Mother Moon to help the people with farming and bless the village, twelve selected girls representing the twelve Nàng Hai will dance and sing according to the shaman's words. From that moment, the girls are regarded as the Nàng Hai coming down to earth to help the people pray for harvests and blessings.

The Prayer Ceremony for Hai

The Prayer Ceremony for Hai is conducted at the land deity's shrine and the Hai tent. In this part of the ceremony, the shaman performs rituals to worship the twelve Mother Moons, represented by twelve girls symbolizing the twelve lunar months of the year.

According to the belief of the Tày people, each Mother Moon oversees a different aspect of agricultural production and the lives of the people.

The Farewell Ceremony for Hai

The Farewell Ceremony for Hai is the final and very important ritual. This ceremony expresses the affection of Mother Moon and the Nàng Hai before they return to the sky.

Through the farewell songs and promises to meet again next year, the Farewell Ceremony for Hai reflects the community's faith in the blessings of Mother Moon, while also expressing hopes for a peaceful and prosperous life.

The Nàng Hai Festival expresses the Tày people's aspirations for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, a warm life, and community solidarity.

This is also an occasion for people to meet, interact, and strengthen bonds within the community. Through the call-and-response songs with Nàng Hai, everyone can express their feelings, share joys and sorrows, and find empathy in their spiritual lives.

The Nàng Hai Festival is a unique cultural beauty of the Tày ethnic group in Cao Bằng. The festival not only has the significance of praying for harvests and blessings but also reflects the worship of Mother, respect for nature, emphasizes the role of women, and the spirit of community bonding.

This is a rich cultural heritage that contributes to enriching the traditional cultural life of the Cao Bằng region.