Ba Che commune (formerly Ba Che district) has long been home to a large Dao community, including the Dao Thanh Y and Dao Thanh Phan groups. This annual event honors ancestor Ban Vuong, the forefather of the Dao people, and aims to preserve and promote the community’s rich cultural traditions.
The 5th Ban Vuong festival in 2025 took place on November 21-22 at Son Hai hamlet in Ba Che commune, Quang Ninh province. The opening ceremony began at 7:30 p.m. on November 21, featuring traditional rituals and an art program reenacting The legend of Ban Vuong - “The sun’s dream”. The ceremony also showcased unique Dao cultural practices such as the fire-jumping ritual of the Thanh Phan Dao and a reenactment of the traditional wedding ceremony of the Thanh Y Dao.
Throughout the festival, residents and visitors enjoyed a variety of experiential activities, including tours of the Mieu Ong - Mieu Ba relic site and local pottery kilns; discovering Dao culture, cuisine, and traditional crafts; and visiting OCOP product booths. Many artistic performances praising the origins of Ban Vuong and celebrating the cultural identity of the Thanh Y and Thanh Phan Dao groups were also staged for the community and tourists.
On the morning of November 22, the unique Dao ritual “The voyage across the sea” was reenacted by 12 artisans. The festive section included cooking competitions, folk games, crossbow shooting, flute performances, cultural exchanges, and various community activities.
The 5th Ban Vuong festival 2025 reflects the strong sense of community cohesion and deep pride in the ancestral roots of the Dao people. It also serves as an opportunity to promote the image of Ba Che to visitors from within and beyond the province.
