The Cống people have a unique culture that has been preserved over generations. Due to their clustered settlement habits, the Cống people’s ethnic cultural identity remains intact. The Cống people value their spiritual life, and the Corn festival is the biggest religious ritual of the year. Whether the festival is big or small depends on the tray of offerings as well as the products displayed on the tray. According to shaman Chang Van San, no one knows exactly when the Corn festival began, but they only know that this ritual has been passed down from generation to generation. This is an opportunity for the Cống people to report to their ancestors what they have done during the year, thanking their ancestors and gods for blessing them with healthy children, good livestock farming, and good harvests.
The festival is normally celebrated in the sixth lunar month every year when the rainy season begins. After the ritual ends, the homeowner thanks the shaman, and the shaman prays to the ancestors and gods for blessings. Then the locals, young and old, boys and girls, in the village join the festival in a joyful atmosphere. The folk dances recreate the Cống people’s routine activities in production and daily life. Drum beating and gong beating are indispensable during the festival, creating an energetic atmosphere. The Cống ethnic women in their traditional costumes sing and dance excitedly during the festival. They look even more beautiful in their traditional costumes. They also recreate the ritual of getting water during the Corn festival. For the Cống women, the Corn festival is an opportunity for them to put aside a hardworking season and have fun together.
Amid the bustling sound of drums and gongs, people of the Cống, Mảng, Si La, and Lự ethnic groups join hands in a circle, vowing to build a united community.
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