Traditional Performing Arts of the Red Dao – The Living Soul of Hoang Su Phi’s Highlands

Graceful scarf dances, rhythmic bell movements, and ancient Dao folk melodies invite you into the refined cultural world of the highlands. Every gesture and every note tells a story — of love, daily life, and sacred beliefs — echoing like whispers of the mountains carried through generations.

Tet Nhay – The Festival of Ancestral Reverence and Cultural Vitality

Known as Nhiang Cham Dao, Tet Nhay is one of the most significant rituals of the Red Dao people, held every few years in the home of the clan’s eldest member. It is both a sacred ceremony to honor Ban Vuong, the ancestral founder of the Dao, and a joyful celebration of heritage. During the festival, the community gathers to sing, dance, and perform ancient rituals that have been preserved for centuries.

As drums and gongs resound through the mountains, Red Dao men in traditional attire begin powerful ceremonial dances. Each dance is a living narrative — a blend of spirituality, labor, and the human spirit of perseverance amid the vast wilderness.

Iconic Dances of the Red Dao Culture

Tam Nguyen An Ham Dance: The opening performance of Tet Nhay, featuring flag-waving movements that symbolize the strength of spiritual forces and the harmony between heaven, earth, and humanity.

Dao Dance (The Warrior Dance): The central dance, showcasing the martial spirit of the Dao people. With colorful wooden daggers as props, dancers leap and spin with strength and precision, reenacting the bravery of ancestors who defended their villages.
Phat Nuong Dance (The Harvest Dance): A depiction of daily agricultural life — clearing fields, sowing seeds, harvesting, and grinding rice — where each gesture reflects the Dao’s closeness to nature and the rhythm of labor.
Bat Ba Ba Dance (The Turtle Dance): A lighthearted performance using small handbells, imitating scenes of hunting and playfulness found in the natural world.
Every movement in these dances requires endurance, coordination, and unity between the dancer and the music. The blend of drums, gongs, and ancient chants creates a sacred yet vibrant atmosphere — as if the past and present merge within each step.

Music and Song – The Soul of Red Dao Festivals

Red Dao folk music uses traditional instruments such as drums, gongs, bamboo horns, and flutes. The songs sung during Tet Nhay recount the origin of the Dao people, their journey to build villages, and their gratitude to ancestors and nature. The resonant voices and deep drumbeats transport listeners into the mystical world of the mountains and the spiritual heart of the Dao.

Preserving and Sharing the Cultural Essence

Today, even as modern life reaches every village, the Red Dao’s festivals and dances continue to thrive and are revived at cultural destinations such as Panhou Retreat – Hoang Su Phi. Here, visitors can witness and participate in these living traditions.

Each dance, each beat of the drum, is not merely a performance — it is a bridge connecting today’s generation with their ancient roots, a way for the Red Dao to keep telling their story through movement, sound, and an enduring pride that echoes across the mountains of Hoang Su Phi.