The ceremony to handover the certificate of National Intangible Cultural Heritage for Xen Dong ritual (forest worship) of the Thai in Nghia Lo town, Yen Bai province (Photo: Dinh Thuy/VNA)

The Xen Dong festival is a particularly important ritual of the Black Thai to pay gratitude to the gods and pray for favorable weather, bountiful crops, peaceful villages and a prosperous and happy life.

This is not only a spiritual activity, but also an opportunity for the villagers to strengthen relationship and preserve and promote ethnic cultural identity.

At the ceremony to receive the certificate on Saturday, the leaders of Nghia Lo town’s People’s Committee pledged to continue to promote heritages in the community and tourism to turn Nghia Lo in to an attractive tourist destination.