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Lễ Lồng tồng (xuống đồng) của người Tày, Nùng

Culture and belief A record of custom.

About this rite: when it is held and for whom

Also called: Lồng tông, Lồng thồng, Hội xuống đồng, Lễ hội Lồng Tồng

Lễ cầu mùa (prayer for a good harvest) at the beginning of spring: households bring offering trays to the field, the mo priest prays in thanks to heaven and earth, sprinkles water to pray for rain, scatters seeds, then ploughs and transplants the first rows and tosses còn. The prayer text is only summarized by the sources.

When
First lunar month, from the 4th to the 25th depending on the locality
For whom
Thần Nông (God of Agriculture), heaven and earth, the spirits of the village

Offerings and how the rite is done

As commonly practised and recorded by the sources. Each family and each region may do it differently.

Northeast, Tày, Folk practice

When
First lunar month, from the 4th to the 25th depending on the locality
Where the offerings are set
A large plot of land, a field, a hillside, or a stream bank
Who makes the offering
Tào master or mo priest (pú mo) presides; each household has one tray, the village has a common tray

Offerings

OfferingNotes
Offering tray of each family: boiled chicken, pork, bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), bánh khảo (pressed rice cake), chè lam (ginger sesame candy)
Colorful flower cakes and a pair of cloth còn balls, containing seedsplaced on each tray
The village's common offering tray includes a pig's headRequired. sources note that the common tray cannot lack a pig's head
Incense, wine

Steps

  1. Arrange the offering trays in rows
  2. The pú mo stands before the village tray and prays in thanks to heaven and earth and the spirits; the villagers burn incense and pour wine
  3. Praying for rain: an assistant carries a basin of water, others hold palm leaves; after the pú mo finishes the prayer, he sprinkles water around
  4. The pú mo scatters seeds from the offering trays; the villagers pick them up and mix them with their own seeds
  5. Men plough the first rows, women transplant rice
  6. Tossing còn and other games

Northeast, Tày, Nùng, xã Đại Đồng, Tràng Định, Lạng Sơn, Folk practice

When
The 12th day of the first lunar month
Where the offerings are set
Beside the Chẹt Khum rock mound; altars to Thần Nông, Thần Tiên, Thần Hoàng Trùng
Who makes the offering
Ritual master and five officiants; 24 villages bring offering trays

Offerings

OfferingQuantityNotes
Capon or pig's head placed on a tray of xôi (steamed sticky rice)one per trayRequired
Bánh dày (round sticky rice cake), bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake), khẩu sli, khẩu xà, xôi (steamed sticky rice), oản (steamed rice cake)
Fruit, wine, votive paper and incense
Puffed corn, puffed glutinous rice, seed riceused for the seed-scattering game

Steps

  1. The ritual master burns incense at the offering trays, asking the deities to permit the villagers to open the festival
  2. The ritual master prays to cleanse the offering trays with holy water
  3. Five officiants bow, read out the names of the offerings of the 24 villages; in turn they offer incense, tea, wine, and food at the altars
  4. At the auspicious hour, after the drum and gong roll, go down to the field to plant the first rice plants
  5. Gieo lộc (scattering of fortune): the person playing the role of Thần Nông (God of Agriculture) scatters bỏng (puffed rice) and seed rice for festival-goers to catch

Northeast, Tày, Chiêm Hóa, Lâm Bình, Tuyên Quang, Folk practice

When
The 8th day of the first lunar month (Chiêm Hóa, year 2026)
Where the offerings are set
Đền Bách Thần then the stadium (Chiêm Hóa); đền Pú Bảo then the altar at the foot of the còn pole (Lâm Bình)

Offerings

OfferingQuantityNotes
Nine tồng trays9Required. Chiêm Hóa
Tray of five-colour xôi (steamed sticky rice)Lâm Bình
Five-colour quả còn (cloth ball)

Steps

  1. Perform the ceremony at the đền
  2. Carry the offering trays from the đền down to the festival ground, placed at the altar
  3. Offer sacrifices to heaven and earth and the deities
  4. Cày tịch điền (ritual ploughing)
  5. Distribute lộc (blessed offerings), throw còn

Northwest, Tày, Nùng, xã Yên Thành, Lào Cai, Folk practice

When
The 6th day of the first lunar month (year 2026)

Offerings

Offering
Produce made by the people of the area

Steps

  1. Offer sacrifices to the deities and heaven and earth
  2. Commune leaders perform cày tịch điền (ritual ploughing)
  3. Rice-planting contest of the women of the villages
  4. Throwing còn and other games

More about Lễ Lồng tồng (xuống đồng) của người Tày, Nùng

Nhật Nguyệt articles on the rite, the custom and how to prepare.

Sources

  • Lễ hội Lồng Tồng (greensm.com)
  • Hội Lồng tồng: Nét đẹp của một lễ hội (sggp.org.vn)
  • Lễ hội lồng thồng tại Lạng Sơn (vnexpress.net)
  • Lễ hội Lồng Tông Chiêm Hóa (baophapluat.vn)
  • Tuyên Quang: Đặc sắc Lễ hội Lồng Tông, Di sản văn hóa phi vật thể Quốc gia (baophapluat.vn)
  • Đặc sắc Lễ hội Lồng Tồng ở Yên Thành (baolaocai.vn)

Part of the open dataset Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.

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