Sapa Culture

Spring is the festival season in Vietnam. It is believed that the time from Lunar New Year or Tet holiday to the end of January is the best time to relax and prepare for a hard-working year. During this time, Sapa is also thrilled with many festivals of ethnic minorities. Visiting Sapa in spring, tourists will have the opportunity to enjoy cultural festivals of local people that is found nowhere.

Banana Flowers Festival of Xa Pho people

Famous for being home of many ethnic minorities. Sapa is the place gathering many rich cultural identities and diversities. Attached to it is the year-round festivals which are expected and participated by a lot of people. One of the unique festival is the festival of Banana Flowers Festival of Xa Pho people. Banana flower festival of Xa Pho people, Lao Cai is held annually on June 9/9 to demand good crops, livestock and poultry development, warm and happy home. Local people believe that, with your mind, they will be rewarded.

In the festival, the most unique thing is the dance featuring the tradition of beautiful and grateful girls, fluid dance movements but exudes vitality. Contents of dance depict the scenes of increasing production and daily life activities of the people. Very close and familiar. These performances are represented by the people in the village so they are expected by many people.

Tet dancing festival of Dao people

When apricots and peach blossoms are bloomed, Dao people celebrate Tet nhay festival jubilantly. From ancient times, Tet nhay festival has become a unique feature that is indispensible in Lunar New Year celebration of Dao people. Tet nhay festival is held as the gratitude toward ancestors and the wish for the defense of Gods for family members. During the festival time, the host slaughter pigs, make cakes to prepare for a banquet. Participants would enjoy the banquet, drink alcohol, and dancing for several days. Throuh Tet nhay festival, cultural features of Dao people are deeply expressed. Traditional costumes with sophisticated embroidery are dressed by beautiful women. Unique dancing is performed attractively by men of all ages. This is the occasion to hand down traditional chants, dancing, music, and dishes to future generations to keep the soul of the nation.

Gau Tao festival of H’mong people

Gau Tao festival is the greatest festival of H’mong people. The intention of the festival is wishing for happiness or longevity. According to the custom of H’mong people, regardless of asking for happiness or longevity, the host has to rely on a shaman to communicate with ancestors or the God.

Although Gau Tao festival is celebrated in a certain house, it is rendezvous of the whole village. In the last day of the year, the host prepares offerings including pork, chung cake, rice, and alcohol. The shaman would recite the chant and scarify those offerings to the God in front of a Lunar New Year pole. The festival takes place during two days from 3rd to 5th of the New Year. Men and women in colorful traditional costumes altogether sing cheerful songs to praise the village and love. After that, hundreds of people go around paths, hills and hamlets chatting, singing and playing instruments like leaves trumpet, flute, and pan-pipe. Folk games are also organized to contribute the cheerful atmosphere of the festival.