TL;DR: The Mường New Rice Festival, also called the new rice celebration, in Hương Cần Commune (before July 2025 part of Thanh Sơn District, Phú Thọ Province) is held on the 10th day of the 10th lunar month each year to mark the end of the harvest and to thank heaven, earth, ancestors, and the village founders. A few days before the festival, unmarried young men harvest the rice in the communal hương hỏa field of the Mường house, and the Lang makes an offering at Khoang Đình to thank heaven and earth. Only after that offering may households harvest their own fields, pound and cook the new rice, and make offerings to their ancestors. This is a record of the Mường in Hương Cần Commune, not a general description of the Mường in Hòa Bình or of the entire Mường ethnic group.
What does the article cover and where do the sources come from?
This article describes the New Rice Festival of the Muong people in Hương Cần commune, Thanh Sơn district (former), Phú Thọ province, based on press records of the edition held in early November 2022. The sources used here speak only of the Muong community in Hương Cần commune and Thanh Sơn district, and do not generalise to the Muong people of the former Hòa Bình or to the Muong ethnic group as a whole. This point deserves attention because the custom of offering new rice exists among many ethnic groups and in many localities, each with its own way of doing things; the sources for this article record only one specific area.
The New Rice Festival of the Muong people in Phú Thọ takes place on the 10th day of the 10th lunar month every year, and carries the meaning of marking the end of the harvest season, giving thanks to heaven and earth and to the ancestors, giving thanks to those who cleared the land and founded the village, and asking permission to eat rice from the new crop[1]. The ceremony is also called the celebration of new rice[1][2].
On place names: since 1 July 2025 the country has had 34 provinces and cities and no longer has district level, but the sources used in this article all record according to the administrative boundaries before that milestone. The article therefore keeps the name "Thanh Sơn district (former)" when citing the sources, and writes "Hương Cần commune" according to the name the sources give. The article does not guess the new commune or ward names where the sources do not say.
What is the New Rice Festival of the Muong people in Hương Cần?
The New Rice Festival is an agricultural rite marking the end of the harvest season, giving thanks to heaven and earth, to the ancestors and to those who cleared the land and founded the village, and at the same time asking permission to eat rice from the new crop[1][2]. The rite is held every year on the 10th day of the tenth lunar month[1][2].
On the origin of the belief: according to Pháp Luật Việt Nam newspaper, this custom comes from the belief that all things have a soul and from the respect for the value of the rice plant in productive and daily life, the Muong people regarding the rice plant as a sacred image in the ethnic consciousness of belief[2]. This is the newspaper's explanation of the belief basis of the custom, and belongs to the sphere of the beliefs of the practising community.
On the space where it is held: the rite takes place at the historical relic of Khoang communal house, built in Khoang hamlet, Hương Cần commune[1]. The communal house worships Duc Thanh Tản Viên Sơn Tinh and his mother, Mrs Đinh Thị Đen[1][2]. The source also records that the communal house belongs to the system of relics worshipping Duc Thanh Tản Viên in the plains and midland areas of the North[1].
On the figure worshipped: the press sources call Duc Thanh Tản Viên Sơn Tinh a "historical figure of the time of King Hùng Vương founding the country"[1][2]. This way of speaking is how the source presents it. The legend of Sơn Tinh and Thủy Tinh and of the four immortal Saints of the Vietnamese is folk legend, not a verified historical event; the article records it exactly as the source states and does not elevate legend to fact.
Why must everyone wait for the Lang to perform the offering at Khoang communal house before households may harvest?
According to the sources, a few days before the ceremony, unmarried young men gather to harvest rice in the huong hoa field of the Muong house; the Lang (Muong) prepares a tray of offerings to give thanks to heaven and earth at the communal house[1][2]. After the offering ceremony, households may then harvest rice in their own fields, pound and husk it, cook the new rice and hold the ceremony to worship the ancestors[1][2].
This order shows that harvesting one's own rice is placed after the community rite at the communal house: the ceremony at the communal house is the starting marker that permits the whole community to enter the household harvest. The sources do not explain further the mechanism of taboo or sanction if one harvests earlier, so the article records only the order as the sources describe it, and does not speculate further about religious or social reasons.
The role of the Lang and the Lang house: the sources use both ways of speaking, "Muong house" and "Lang (Muong)"[1][2]. In these sources, the huong hoa field is called the field of the Muong house, and the person who presides over the tray of offerings giving thanks to heaven and earth at the communal house is the Lang. The sources do not go deep into explaining the clan structure or the function of "Lang" in Muong society here, so the article does not add concepts on its own.
On those who harvest the huong hoa rice: the sources state that unmarried young men are gathered to harvest rice in the huong hoa field[1][2]. Another source (VietnamPlus) has a photo caption saying that outstanding young men of the Muong ethnic group are carefully selected to present offerings at the New Rice Festival[1]. This is a detail at the level of a photo caption, and the article records it as the source has it.
How does the sequence from harvesting the huong hoa rice to worshipping the ancestors unfold?
The table below summarises the steps according to the sources cited. The columns "Who does it" and "Where" keep the sources' own wording.
| Step | Who does it | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Harvest the huong hoa field rice (a few days before the ceremony) | Unmarried young men | The huong hoa field of the Muong house |
| Offer thanks to heaven and earth at the communal house | The Lang (Muong) prepares the offering tray | Khoang communal house, Khoang hamlet, Hương Cần commune |
| After the offering ceremony, harvest the household field rice | Households | Their own fields |
| Pound, husk and cook the new rice | Households | At home |
| Worship the ancestors, invite them and pray for their blessing | Households | At home |
The sources describe the above steps consistently in order[1][2]. The detail "a few days before the ceremony" is how the source gives the time span, not an exact figure for every year.
What was different about the 2022 edition compared with other years?
An important difference: the VietnamPlus source writes, "Every year, the New Rice Festival in Hương Cần is still maintained and only the main rites are held. This year, implementing Decision No. 2072/QD-BVHTTDL dated 31/8/2022 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Decision No. 3130/QD-UBND dated 28/6/2021 of the People's Committee of Thanh Sơn district... the New Rice Festival of the Muong people was held with the full set of rites and forms of performance and folk games during the festival"[1]. Thus, according to this source, other years hold only the main rites, while the 2022 edition held the full set.
On the context of the 2022 edition: on 3 November (that is, the 10th day of the 10th lunar month), Thanh Sơn district, Phú Thọ province held the New Rice Festival at Khoang communal house, Hương Cần commune[1]. This was one of the activities aimed at preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Muong people and other ethnic minorities in Thanh Sơn district[1].
On support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism: according to Pháp Luật Việt Nam newspaper, in early November 2022, the Department of Ethnic Culture (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People's Committee of Thanh Sơn district, Phú Thọ province to organise the preservation and promotion of the "New Rice Festival of the Muong people" in Hương Cần commune, Thanh Sơn district[2]. The VietnamPlus source names specifically Decision No. 2072/QD-BVHTTDL dated 31/8/2022 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism[1].
On gifts for the occasion: representatives of the leadership of the Department of Ethnic Culture, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, presented Hương Cần commune with a set of musical instruments, costumes and materials to support preservation work[1]. Pháp Luật Việt Nam newspaper quotes Mrs Nguyễn Thị Hải Nhung, Director of the Department of Ethnic Culture, at the 2022 training conference on methods of preserving and promoting typical traditional festivals of ethnic minorities for tourism development in Thanh Sơn district, emphasising the work of preserving and promoting typical traditional festivals of ethnic minorities organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in localities[2].
What happens in the festival part with performances and folk games?
According to the VietnamPlus source, the 2022 edition included forms of performance and folk games during the festival: playing the cong chieng gongs, cham ong, dam duong, senh tien dance, dat drum, vi singing, gay pushing, tug of war and crossbow shooting[1]. Pháp Luật Việt Nam newspaper lists the same group of activities[2].
Some details are recorded by the sources at the level of photo captions: local people join in playing the cong chieng gongs in front of the yard of Khoang communal house[1]; beating the dat drum is called by the source a cultural feature typical of the Muong people in Thanh Sơn district, Phú Thọ province[1]; dam duong is likewise called by the source a cultural feature typical of the Muong ethnic group[1]; local people compete in tug of war at the New Rice Festival[1].
The scope needs noting: the sentences about what is "typical" in the sources are attached to Thanh Sơn district, Phú Thọ province, and are not an assertion about the entire Muong ethnic group in every locality[1].
Why is this festival tied to cultural preservation and tourism development?
According to the sources, the New Rice Festival both carries deep spiritual meaning and expresses the unique cultural value of the Muong people in Hương Cần commune, Thanh Sơn district[2]. Mr Kiều Duy Hiển, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hương Cần commune, said the New Rice Festival not only expresses the unique cultural value of the Muong people here but also strengthens the great unity bloc of the ethnic groups, with people of all ethnic groups in the commune joining hands to build the new countryside; this is also an occasion to honour traditional culture, to step up tapping the potential of the culture of origins, and to serve tourism development in Thanh Sơn district[1].
On the district side: Mr Phạm Tú, Vice Chairman of Thanh Sơn district, said that with the aim of preserving, keeping and promoting the values of the Muong cultural heritage, the district has drawn up a scheme to inventory, collect, preserve and promote the cultural identity of the ethnic groups up to 2025 linked with tourism development[2].
On preparatory activities: beforehand, artisans and trainees of the Muong people in Hương Cần commune passed on, guided and rehearsed the rites, ceremonial practices and artistic items for the ceremony[2].
On the next plans: Thanh Sơn district will continue to invest in musical instruments, costumes and materials to support the holding of the New Rice Festival rites; and to encourage local people to keep the distinctive cultural values, gradually developing community tourism and improving people's lives[2].
What points should you distinguish when looking up the New Rice Festival?
First, the New Rice Festival is not a custom belonging to one ethnic group alone. The sources cited in this article mention articles about the New Rice Festival of the Cao Lan people in Tuyên Quang, of highland ethnic people in Lào Cai, and of the La Chí people in Quang Bình (Hà Giang)[1]. So when looking things up, one should identify clearly the ethnic group and the area, and not apply the description of one place to another.
Second, the New Rice Festival of the Muong people in Hương Cần has a fixed date, the 10th day of the 10th lunar month[1][2]. The sources do not say that this date shifts with the crop season from year to year in this area.
Third, the role of Khoang communal house in the rite is tied to the worship of Duc Thanh Tản Viên and his mother[1][2]. The community rite takes place at the communal house, while the family rite takes place at home after the households have harvested their own field rice. These two levels of ritual need to be distinguished when describing them.
Fourth, the figures and dates in the article all come from sources with a specific year: Decision No. 2072/QD-BVHTTDL dated 31/8/2022, Decision No. 3130/QD-UBND dated 28/6/2021 of the People's Committee of Thanh Sơn district, and the edition held on 3 November 2022 (that is, the 10th day of the 10th lunar month)[1]. The article does not extrapolate these figures to other years.
Frequently asked questions
On what date does the New Rice Festival of the Muong people in Hương Cần take place?
The 10th day of the tenth lunar month every year[1][2]. The edition recorded by the sources is 3 November 2022 on the solar calendar, that is, the 10th day of the 10th lunar month[1].
Who prepares the tray of offerings giving thanks to heaven and earth at Khoang communal house?
The Lang (Muong) of the commune prepares the tray of offerings giving thanks to heaven and earth at Khoang communal house[1][2].
After the offering ceremony at the communal house, what do households do?
Households may then harvest rice in their own fields, pound and husk it, cook the new rice and hold the ceremony to worship the ancestors, with the meaning of inviting the ancestors and praying for their blessing of favourable rain and wind and good crops[1][2].
