Scope of the Article and Sources
This article describes the Mường New Rice Festival in Hương Cần Commune, Thanh Sơn District (former), Phú Thọ Province, based on press records from the celebration in early November 2022. The sources used here speak only of the Mường community in Hương Cần Commune and Thanh Sơn District, not of the Mường in former Hòa Bình or of the entire Mường ethnic group. This point matters because the new rice offering custom exists among many ethnic groups and in many localities, each with different practices; the sources for this article record only one specific area.
The Mường New Rice Festival in Phú Thọ takes place on the 10th day of the 10th lunar month each year, marking the end of the harvest, thanking heaven, earth, and ancestors, thanking the village founders, and asking permission to eat the new rice. The festival is also called the new rice celebration.
On place names: since July 1, 2025 the country has 34 provinces and cities and no longer has district level, but the sources used in this article all record according to the boundaries before that date. Therefore the article keeps the name "Thanh Sơn District (former)" when citing the sources, and writes "Hương Cần Commune" as named by the sources. The article does not guess new commune or ward names when the sources do not state them.
What Is the Mường New Rice Festival in Hương Cần?
The New Rice Festival is an agricultural rite marking the end of the harvest, thanking heaven, earth, ancestors, and the village founders, and asking permission to eat the new rice. The rite is held annually on the 10th day of the 10th lunar month.
On the origin of the belief: according to Pháp Luật Việt Nam newspaper, this custom stems from the belief that all things have souls and from respect for the value of the rice plant in production and daily life, with the Mường regarding the rice plant as a sacred image in the ethnic belief system. This is the newspaper's explanation of the belief basis of the custom, belonging to the beliefs of the practicing community.
On the venue: the rite takes place at the historical relic Khoang Đình, built in Khoang Hamlet, Hương Cần Commune. The đình worships Đức thánh Tản Viên Sơn Tinh and his mother, Mrs. Đinh Thị Đen. The source also records that the đình belongs to the system of relics worshipping Đức thánh Tản Viên in the plains and midland of the North.
On the worshipped figure: press sources call Đức thánh Tản Viên Sơn Tinh a "historical figure from the time of the Hùng kings who founded the country." This wording is the source's presentation. The legend of Sơn Tinh and Thủy Tinh and of the four immortal saints of the Vietnamese is folk legend, not verified historical event; the article records it exactly as the source states and does not elevate legend to fact.
Why Must Households Wait for the Lang to Perform the Offering at Khoang Đình Before They Can Harvest?
According to the sources, a few days before the festival, unmarried young men gather to harvest rice in the communal hương hỏa field of the Mường house; the Lang (Mường) makes an offering tray to thank heaven and earth at the đình. After the offering, households may harvest rice in their own fields, pound and cook the new rice, and make offerings to their ancestors.
This sequence shows that harvesting one's own field comes after the community rite at the đình: the đình rite is the starting point that allows the whole community to enter the household harvest. The sources do not explain further any taboo mechanism or sanction for harvesting early, so the article records only the sequence as the sources describe, without inferring further about religious or social reasons.
The role of the Lang and the Lang house: the sources use both "Mường house" and "Lang (Mường)." In these sources, the hương hỏa field is called the field of the Mường house, and the person presiding over the offering tray to thank heaven and earth at the đình is the Lang. The sources do not go deep into explaining the clan structure or the function of "Lang" in Mường society here, so the article does not add concepts on its own.
On those who harvest the hương hỏa rice: the sources state that unmarried young men are gathered to harvest rice in the hương hỏa field. Another source (VietnamPlus) has a photo caption saying that outstanding Mường young men are carefully selected to present offerings at the New Rice Festival. This is a detail at the level of a photo caption, and the article records it as the source has it.
Sequence from Harvesting the Hương Hỏa Rice to Ancestor Offerings
The table below summarizes the steps according to the cited sources. The columns "Who acts" and "Where" keep the sources' wording.
| Step | Who acts | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Harvest rice in the hương hỏa field (a few days before the festival) | Unmarried young men | The hương hỏa field of the Mường house |
| Offer thanks to heaven and earth at the đình | The Lang (Mường) makes the offering tray | Khoang Đình, Khoang Hamlet, Hương Cần Commune |
| After the offering, harvest the household field | Households | Their own fields |
| Pound and cook the new rice | Households | At home |
| Make offerings to ancestors, invite and pray for ancestors' blessing | Households | At home |
The above steps are described consistently in order by the sources. The detail "a few days before the festival" is how the sources give the time range, not an exact number for every year.
How Did the 2022 Celebration Differ from Other Years?
An important difference: VietnamPlus notes "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/QĐ-BVHTTDL dated August 31, 2022 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Decision No. 3130/QĐ-UBND dated June 28, 2021 of the People's Committee of Thanh Sơn District... the Mường New Rice Festival is held with the full rites and forms of performance and folk games during the festival day." Thus, according to this source, other years hold only the main rites, while the 2022 celebration was full.
On the context of the 2022 celebration: on November 3 (the 10th day of the 10th lunar month), Thanh Sơn District, Phú Thọ Province held the New Rice Festival at Khoang Đình, Hương Cần Commune. This is one of the activities to preserve and promote the cultural identity of the Mường and other ethnic minorities in Thanh Sơn District.
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, the People's Committee of Thanh Sơn District, Phú Thọ Province to organize the preservation and promotion of the "Mường New Rice Festival" in Hương Cần Commune, Thanh Sơn District. The VietnamPlus source specifically cites Decision No. 2072/QĐ-BVHTTDL dated August 31, 2022 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
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 musical instruments, costumes, and materials to support preservation work. Pháp Luật Việt Nam newspaper quoted 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, emphasizing the preservation and promotion of typical traditional festivals of ethnic minorities organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in localities.
The Festival Part: Performances and Folk Games
According to VietnamPlus, the 2022 celebration included forms of performance and folk games during the festival day: cồng chiêng performance, chạm ống, đâm đuống, sênh tiền dance, trống đất, ví singing, đẩy gậy, tug of war, and crossbow shooting. Pháp Luật Việt Nam newspaper lists the same group of activities.
Some details are recorded by the sources at the level of photo captions: people participate in cồng chiêng performance in front of Khoang Đình; trống đất beating is called by the source a distinctive cultural feature of the Mường in Thanh Sơn District, Phú Thọ Province; đâm đuống is also called by the source a distinctive cultural feature of the Mường ethnic group; people compete in tug of war at the New Rice Festival.
Note the scope: the "distinctive" statements in the sources are tied to Thanh Sơn District, Phú Thọ Province, not assertions for the entire Mường ethnic group in all localities.
Why Is This Festival Linked 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 Mường in Hương Cần Commune, Thanh Sơn District. 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 Mường here but also strengthens the great unity bloc of ethnic groups, with people of all ethnic groups in the commune joining hands to build new rural areas; this is also an occasion to honor traditional culture, boost the exploitation of the potential of ancestral culture, and serve tourism development in Thanh Sơn District.
On the district side: Mr. Phạm Tú, Vice Chairman of Thanh Sơn District, said that with the aim of preserving, maintaining, and promoting the values of Mường cultural heritage, the district has built a project to inventory, collect, preserve, and promote the cultural identity of ethnic groups through 2025 linked to tourism development.
On preparatory activities: previously, Mường artisans and trainees in Hương Cần Commune had passed on, guided, and practiced the rites, rituals, and performances for the ceremony.
On the next plan: Thanh Sơn District continues to invest in musical instruments, costumes, and materials to support the New Rice Festival rites; mobilize people to preserve distinctive cultural values, gradually develop community tourism, and improve people's lives.
Points to Distinguish When Researching the New Rice Festival
First, the New Rice Festival is not a custom of only one ethnic group. The sources cited in the article mention articles about the New Rice Festival of the Cao Lan in Tuyên Quang, of highland ethnic people in Lào Cai, and of the La Chí in Quang Bình (Hà Giang). Therefore when researching, one must clearly identify the ethnic group and area, and not apply the description of one place to another.
Second, the Mường New Rice Festival in Hương Cần has a fixed date of the 10th day of the 10th lunar month. The sources do not say this date changes with the harvest season each year in this area.
Third, the role of Khoang Đình in the rite is tied to the worship of Đức thánh Tản Viên and his mother. The community rite takes place at the đình, while the family rite takes place at home after households have harvested their own fields. These two levels of rite must be distinguished when describing.
Fourth, the numbers and dates in the article are all taken from sources with specific years: Decision No. 2072/QĐ-BVHTTDL dated August 31, 2022, Decision No. 3130/QĐ-UBND dated June 28, 2021 of the People's Committee of Thanh Sơn District, the celebration on November 3, 2022 (the 10th day of the 10th lunar month). The article does not infer these numbers for other years.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Mường New Rice Festival in Hương Cần take place?
The 10th day of the 10th lunar month each year. The celebration recorded by the sources is November 3, 2022 in the solar calendar, which is the 10th day of the 10th lunar month.
Who makes the offering tray to thank heaven and earth at Khoang Đình?
The Lang (Mường) of the commune makes the offering tray to thank heaven and earth at Khoang Đình.
After the offering at the đình, what do households do?
Households may then harvest rice in their own fields, pound and cook the new rice, and make offerings to their ancestors, with the meaning of inviting and praying for ancestors to bless them with favorable weather and good harvests.
