Heading to Northwest to partake in the colorful festival of the Red Dao ethnic group.

Vietnam is a country with thousands of years of history. Like many other countries in the world, Vietnam has a distinct cultural identity. These characteristics shape the essence, appearance, and identity of the Vietnamese people. Today, we will explore and learn about the prestigious ceremony of the Red Dao people at a significant landmark in the northern highlands.

What is the ceremony of prestige?

As a significant traditional ceremony of the highland people, the Prestigious Ceremony of the Red Dao holds immense significance for every Red Dao man. It marks a milestone in the maturity of a Red Dao man, while also serving as a spiritual nourishment essential in the cultural and religious life of the ethnic community. It not only holds allure for the people of this ethnicity but also attracts the attention of many other ethnic groups living in the northern highlands and foreign tourists.

The Red Dao people typically inhabit various regions in the Northwest such as Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Son La, and Yen Bai provinces.

The Prestigious Ceremony - a mandatory ritual of the Red Dao people.

According to Dao beliefs, the Prestigious Ceremony is a mandatory tradition for men. Only those who have undergone this ceremony are considered mature men; those who haven't, even if they live to old age, are still regarded as immature.

This implies being excluded from participating in important village tasks. However, those who have undergone the ceremony, even at a young age, can still participate in important family or community rituals. This is an interesting aspect and can be seen as a challenge for the Red Dao people because, as far as I know, the financial cost to participate and organize such a festival is not insignificant.

For this reason, the Prestigious Ceremony of the Red Dao has become a common and mandatory tradition for all men of the lineage. They highly value this day, and particularly, from birth, the men of the family, the lineage all desire to have their Prestigious Ceremony organized, undergo it, and attain a high rank.

The rituals and procedures of organizing the Prestigious Ceremony of the Red Dao people.

Before the ceremonial day, the ritual masters must cleanse the homes of those undergoing the ceremony. On the ceremonial day, the homeowner must choose an auspicious day and month, select the ritual master, who is respected by the villagers, knowledgeable in customs, and plays a role in leading the ceremony. Additionally, Red Dao women whose husbands undergo the Prestigious Ceremony must cover their heads with a red scarf throughout the ceremony.

The Prestigious Ceremony of the Red Dao consists of two main rituals: the Passing of the Torch ceremony, which includes presentation, torch bestowal, torch lowering, assumption of Dharma name, and crossing the bridge. The Slai procession (promotion ceremony) comprises ascending the torch, bestowing hats, presenting to Ngoc Hoang, pink thread ceremony, and visiting the heavenly palace. Therefore, the duration typically spans 1-5 days depending on the location, during which attendees erect tents and stay at the ceremonial site for eating, sleeping, and resting.

The ranks in the Prestigious Ceremony vary, and depending on the rank, the number of guardian soldiers allocated to husbands and wives differs. The first rank is the 3-torch rank, where the husband receives 36 guardian soldiers, and the wife receives 24 guardian soldiers; the highest rank is the 12-torch rank, where the husband receives 120 guardian soldiers, and the wife receives 60 guardian soldiers. In the festival I attended, it was a 12-torch ceremony, a rarity to encounter such ceremonies, comprising presentation rituals, homeowner slaughtering pigs, offering chickens to ancestors. Each rank signifies differences, portraying specific historical and cultural meanings of the Red Dao ethnic group through various rituals.

The Ritual of Departure - a spiritual and sacred cultural aspect.

A ritual imbued with the sacred nature of the ceremony is the 'guiding' of spirits...which is referred to as the 'ritual of departure'.

This is the most anticipated part of the ceremony, arousing curiosity in many because, from what I witnessed, this section involves phenomena that could be described as 'strange' and carry some spiritual elements.

After completing the ritual and successfully requesting harmony between yin and yang, the masters will lead the disciples to lie straight and then place a mask and a pair of chopsticks on their faces. The masters walk three circles around the disciples while chanting prayers, then remove the mask. Afterward, the headmaster approaches each disciple, takes a sip of tea, spits it onto their abdomen, pats their chest, and helps them sit up.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the masters will lead the disciples to the Altar (Heavenly Palace) to receive the seal of Ngoc Hoang and introduce them to the realm of spirits.

The Prestigious Ceremony of the Red Dao is a cultural beauty of the Red Dao ethnic group, imbued with humanitarian values, carrying educational significance regarding tradition, helping individuals develop a proper understanding of character, ethics, and responsibilities towards family and society. It distinctly showcases the unique cultural identity of the ethnic group, with rituals aiding in the preservation and promotion of the traditional cultural values of the Red Dao people, contributing to enriching the diverse and vibrant cultural landscape of Vietnam's 54 ethnic communities.

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