The worship of Ban Vuong reminds people of their roots and invites the blessings of Ban Vuong and other ancestors. Source: Vnexpress
The Ban Vuong worship ritual is an important event for the Dao people in Vietnam, happening on the first day of the second lunar month to commemorate and thank the ancestors who gave birth to the Dao and assisted to 12 Dao ethnic families to cross the sea to new lands.
On the morning of April 30, the Dao people in Hoang Su Phi district reenacted the Ban Vuong festival at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism (Dong Mo, Son Tay, Hanoi).
The Dao consider the worship of Ban Vuong vital to their fates, their clan, and their community.
A Dao legend says that after Long Khuyen Ho helped King Binh Vuong defeat invaders, the king rewarded him by allowing him to marry one of the princesses. Later he inherited the throne and took the name Ban Vuong. Ban Vuong had 12 children, who grew up to become the heads of 12 Dao clans.
Ban Vuong led a simple life. He taught his people how to grow rice and cotton and weave fabric. When Ban Vuong died, the villagers worshiped him at their ancestral altars along with the deities of rice, art, hunting, and agriculture.
At the worship of Ban Vuong, six shamans were invited to host the ritual. The shamans invited the spirit of Ban Vuong to witness the piety of the modern Dao people. They offered incense and cereal products on Ban Vuong's altar. At the end of the ceremony, the priests burnt votive papers to return Ban Vuong to heaven.
The Ban Vuong worship ritual is a humane ceremony as it encourages people to remember their ancestors. In addition, this ceremony also establishes a link strengthening the community and the relationships between both family members and among villagers.
Following are photos about the event:
At the beginning of the ceremony, there is a ceremony to call on Ban Vuong and local deities and declare the reason for the ceremony.
The shamans burn paper money, joss paper gold and silver paper asking Ban Vuong and the local deities to help the people and bless the festival.
People offer incense and give thanks to Ban Vuong for helping the Dao live peacefully for thousands of generations.
Six shamans walk in a circle, call out to the local celestial spirit to welcome Ban Vuong and tell a brief biography and physique of Ban Vuong since birth.
Tortoise dance is part of the ritual.
The stick dance shows Ban Vuong, celestial spirit and earth deities descend from the altar to receive the offerings.
The end is the ceremony to send Ban Vuong to heaven, which is also the time when the shamans remove their costumes, at the same time, wrestling, and getting into a trance and dancing.
Recently, in Nhu Xuan District, Thanh Hoa Province, World Vision Vietnam and MAVIN group have distributed ducklings and animal feed, as well as transferring MAVIN ...
Visiting northern province of Dien Bien, tourists and visitors are deeply amazed by the colourful and sophitiscated traditional outfits of Xa Phang ethnic minority, especially ...
Ramie planting under the framework of the project entitled Developing the Value Chain for Ramie by Women in Van Ban District, northern Lao Cai Province ...
Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Bui Thi Minh Hoai has signed Directive No. 45-CT/TU of the Standing Board of the Hanoi Party Committee on “Strengthening People-to-People Diplomacy of the Capital City of Hanoi until 2030, with a Vision to 2045.”
Hanoi is welcoming a large number of domestic and international visitors these days. Many foreign tourists have expressed their admiration for the vibrant colors, solemn and sacred atmosphere of the capital as it prepares to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2.
According to the Department of International Cooperation under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam’s National Day event, held on September 9 at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan, attracted significant attention and participation from Japanese citizens, international visitors, and the Vietnamese community in Japan.
The Global Round of the World Scholar’s Cup 2025 (WSC - a debating competition), held in Bangkok, Thailand, with the participation of 31 countries, witnessed Vietnam’s outstanding achievement as its teams claimed the championship in both the Junior Division (grades 6, 7, 8) and the Senior Division (grades 9, 10, 11), winning in the Team Bowl category.
On September 9 in Quang Tri, the Government of Vietnam and the US Army Pacific Command officially launched the Pacific Friendship 2025 program. This marks the first time the annual program has been held to promote cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster response, medical and technical collaboration, and other civil activities for the Vietnamese people, while further strengthening the long-term relationship between the United States and Vietnam.
Vietnam has pledged to further contribute to United Nations peacekeeping operations, with a focus on protecting local communities, supporting conflict resolution, and advancing international peace initiatives.
On the evening of September 9, in celebration of the 80th National Day of Vietnam (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2025), the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organizations (HUFO) organized a screening of the film Red Rain for the Consular Corps in the city as well as Lao and Cambodian students currently studying in Ho Chi Minh City.
The People’s Committee of Quang Tri Province has issued Decision No. 1285/QD-UBND approving the project document “Enhancing biodiversity through coastal forest restoration: demonstrating biodiversity benefits,” funded by Primaklima e.V. with a non-refundable grant of 48,100 EUR, equivalent to 1.35 billion VND.
According to Florian Sengstschmid, Chief Executive Officer of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board, Vietnam is a favorite destination for the Azerbaijani people. However, the lack of direct flights between the two countries has contributed to the modest number of Azerbaijani visitors to Vietnam in recent times.
On September 8, at Thoi An Hoi Secondary School (Can Tho city), the Union of Friendship Organizations of Can Tho city in collaboration with Project Vietnam Foundation (PVF) - USA held the opening ceremony of the Charity Medical Examination and Treatment Program. The program gives dental care, scholarships and presents to students, people with disabilities and households in difficult circumstances.