“Ngay Kieng gio” festival to be held in Binh Lieu on May 20-22

The annual Ngay Kieng gio festival (meaning avoiding wind), a typical tradition of the Dao Thanh Phan ethnic community in Dong Van commune, Binh Lieu district, is going to celebrated between May 20 and 22.

According to the Dao tradition, the Ngay Kieng gio festival is held on the fourth day of the fourth lunar month (which falls on May 20 this year). All Dao ethnics in Binh Lieu leave home very early in the morning and only return home after sunset. They gather in groups, usually at shady and windy places like near a stream or a water fall. They talk to each other, sing traditional melodies or discuss crops in the next season.

During the festival, the Dao people will not do any production activity such as going to the field or hoeing during the day due to the belief that the god of wind will cause failure of any work during the day. However, the women keep sewing or embroidering during the day.

Besides the traditional activities of the local Dao community, this year’s festival will have many more events such as tug-of-war and stick pushing competitions, and demonstrations of hand-made embroidering by Dao women.

Binh Lieu district will also run booths introducing Dao handicrafts at Dong Van market and promoting tours to local destinations to visitors.