Roong Poc Festival – a field festival rooted in Giay culture
You may see this festival written as Roong Poc, Roong Pooc, or Roóng Poọc depending on the source. These are all the same festival — the differences come down to how the Giay language is transliterated into the Latin alphabet.
The festival takes place in the Muong Hoa Valley, in the Sapa area of Lao Cai Province in the far northwest of Vietnam. This is important context: Roong Poc is not something you will encounter in Hanoi, and it has nothing to do with mainstream Vietnamese culture. It belongs entirely to the highlands of northern Vietnam, where dozens of ethnic minority groups have lived for centuries with their own languages, customs, and traditions.
The Giay are one of these groups. They are a Tai-speaking people with a culture, identity, and way of life that is distinct from the Kinh Vietnamese majority that most visitors associate with Vietnam. In Ta Van commune, where the festival is centered, the Giay have maintained their traditions for hundreds of years.
The name Roong Poc translates roughly to “going to the field” in the Giay language, and that meaning captures what the festival is really about. It marks the close of Tet — the lunar new year period — and signals the return to agricultural work. At its core, the festival is a collective prayer: for fertile fields, healthy livestock, favorable weather, and a good harvest in the year ahead. The rituals draw on deep-rooted beliefs around fertility, the agricultural cycle, and the balance between sun and moon.
In 2023, the Roong Poc Festival was officially recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam — an acknowledgment of its cultural significance and a sign that efforts to preserve it are taken seriously.
When is the Roong Poc Festival?
The festival itself is a one-day event, though preparations in the village begin a few days before.
It is held on the Dragon day of the first lunar month each year. The lunar calendar is a traditional calendar system based on the cycles of the moon rather than the sun. Because the lunar and solar cycles do not align perfectly, the equivalent date in the Western calendar shifts by days or even weeks from one year to the next. In practice, the Roong Poc Festival falls somewhere between late January and mid-March depending on the year.
This is worth taking seriously when planning a visit. The date from last year’s festival is not the date for this year. Always search for the confirmed date of the current edition before booking anything. A news article or announcement from the Sapa local government closer to the time is usually the most reliable source.
Upcoming dates:
- 2026: March 7 — this edition has already taken place
- 2027: estimated late January to late February — exact date to be confirmed closer to the time
Where can you see the Roong Poc Festival?
The festival takes place in Ta Van commune, Sapa district, Lao Cai province — specifically in the open rice fields of Ta Van Giay village, along the Muong Hoa stream. This is where the Giay community has held the festival for generations, and it remains the only place to see it.
What started as a Giay village celebration has grown into something larger. On festival day, people come from across the valley — Hmong from Lao Chai and Hau Thao, Red Dao from nearby hamlets, and a growing number of visitors from Sapa town and beyond. The Giay traditions remain at the center, but the atmosphere is that of an entire valley coming together.
Ta Van is about 8 km from Sapa town, making it an easy trip to combine with a broader stay in the area. You can get there by taxi or motorbike taxi, rent your own motorbike, or walk the trekking trail through the Muong Hoa Valley — a scenic route that takes around two to three hours on foot. The valley itself is one of the most beautiful areas around Sapa, lined with terraced rice fields and dotted with minority villages, so it is well worth exploring beyond the festival day too.
What to see and do at the Roong Poc Festival
The festival runs from early morning into the afternoon. It moves in a clear progression — from quiet, solemn ritual at dawn to open celebration as the day goes on. Here is what to expect.
1. Raising the ceremonial pole
Everything begins with the pole. A tall pole, traditionally cut from an apricot tree, is erected in the center of the rice fields. At the top hangs a large circular ring decorated with red and yellow paper — red representing the sun, yellow the moon — symbolizing the balance between the two and the community’s prayers for rain and light in the right measure.
Before the pole can go up, a divination ritual must confirm that the spirits approve. Village elders consult traditional symbolic objects and recite prayers seeking permission from the spiritual world. Only once that approval is given can the pole be raised. This moment officially opens the festival.
2. The offering ceremony
With the pole standing, the shaman takes his place at the altar. The offering tray holds eggs dyed in red and yellow, fruit, bamboo shoots, silver, and six con balls prepared by unmarried girls from the village. The shaman lights three incense sticks, bows, and begins reciting prayers — asking the gods and spirits for healthy crops, thriving livestock, favorable weather, and healthy people. Votive paper is burned to complete the ceremony.
The atmosphere during this part of the festival is genuinely solemn. Visitors are welcome to watch, but this is a real spiritual ritual, not a performance.
3. Con throwing
Once the ceremony ends, the mood shifts. Con throwing is the moment most visitors remember. Players throw small handmade cloth balls — the con — attempting to pass them through the ring at the top of the pole. Men represent the sun, women the moon, and the men’s team is traditionally meant to win, which the Giay interpret as a sign of a good harvest year ahead.
Visitors are usually invited to try. It looks straightforward and is not.
4. Traditional games and competitions
The games that follow draw in people from across the valley and run well into the afternoon. Tug of war is fought with a thick vine rope gathered from the forest, with teams from different villages pulling against each other. Other events include blindfolded goat or duck catching, walking a bamboo pole suspended by ropes over the Muong Hoa River, a plowing competition, and a sticky rice cake pounding and wrapping contest. The mix of skill, strength, and luck keeps the energy high, and the crowd participation from multiple ethnic groups gives it a genuinely communal feel.
5. The Tich Dien — ceremonial first plowing
Toward the end of the festival, the tone shifts back to something more meaningful. Two young men lead two buffaloes onto the prepared field and plow five symbolic furrows into the soil. This is the Tich Dien — the ceremonial first plowing — and it formally marks the start of the new agricultural year. For the Giay, whose lives have been shaped by the rice cycle for generations, this act carries real weight. It is one of the most visually striking moments of the whole day.
6. Music, traditional dress, and communal meals
Running through all of it is music. Drums, gongs, and the Pi Le flute mark each stage of the festival and keep the energy moving between rituals and games. Many Giay women attend in full traditional dress — garments made from hemp, dyed deep indigo, with intricate embroidery and silver jewelry. At some editions, a reenactment of a traditional Giay wedding procession is also performed.
By the afternoon, families are sharing food and rice wine across the festival grounds. The social side of Roong Poc is just as important as the ritual side — for the community, this is a day to be together.
Practical tips for visiting the Roong Poc Festival
A few things worth knowing before you go.
Verify the date before you travel
The festival date shifts every year with the lunar calendar. Before booking anything, search for news or announcements about the upcoming edition to confirm the exact date. Check again closer to your travel date in case of any changes. Arriving a day early gives you a comfortable buffer if you have traveled a long way.
Get there early
The ceremony begins at dawn and the offerings need to be in place by 7:00 AM. The pole raising and shaman ceremony — the most culturally significant parts of the day — both happen in the morning. The afternoon is for games and socializing. If your time is limited, the morning is where you should be.
Getting to Ta Van from Sapa
Ta Van is about 8 km from Sapa town. The easiest options are a taxi or motorbike taxi. You can also rent a motorbike yourself, or walk the trekking trail through the Muong Hoa Valley, which takes around two to three hours and is a good option if you want to make a full day of it. On festival day the road gets noticeably busier than usual, so leave more time than you think you need.
Consider going with a local guide
There is no commentary or signage at the festival for visitors. A local guide who speaks Vietnamese or Giay can explain what is happening at each stage of the ceremony, help you move around the site, and introduce you to locals. You can follow the day without a guide and still have a good experience, but a lot of the meaning will pass you by.
Photography etiquette
Roong Poc is a real spiritual event, not a cultural show. During the shaman ceremony and the more solemn ritual moments, step back and observe rather than pushing forward with a camera. Most locals are relaxed about photography, but always ask before taking close portraits, and pay attention to the atmosphere around you.
Dress and what to bring
Modest, practical clothing is the right call. The festival takes place on open rice field terrain, so wear shoes that can handle uneven, potentially muddy ground. Early spring in the Sapa area is often cool, foggy, and wet — a light rain jacket is worth packing regardless of the forecast.
Roong Poc is a community event, not a tourist attraction
The Giay are a Tai-speaking ethnic minority with a culture, language, and identity entirely separate from mainstream Vietnamese society. They have lived in Ta Van for centuries and have maintained their traditions on their own terms. The festival exists for them, not for visitors. That does not mean outsiders are unwelcome — they genuinely are welcome — but approaching it with curiosity and respect makes a real difference, both for your experience and for theirs.
Traveling in northern Vietnam
The Roong Poc Festival is one of many reasons to spend time in northern Vietnam. For a full overview of the region — where to go, how to get around, and what to expect — the North Vietnam travel guide covers everything you need to plan your trip.
More ethnic minority festivals in northern Vietnam
The Roong Poc Festival gives a genuine window into Giay culture, but it is just one event in a calendar that runs across the highlands all year. Each ethnic group in northern Vietnam has its own traditions, and many of them are worth planning a trip around.
- Long Tong Festival – The “going to the field” festival of the Tay people, one of the most widespread spring festivals in the northern highlands.
- Pa Then Fire Dance Festival – A striking ritual of the Pa Then people involving fire, trance, and traditional dance — one of the most unusual festivals in Vietnam.
- Xen Xo Phon – A rain-praying festival of the Thai people, rooted in agricultural beliefs and performed with elaborate ceremony.
- Tet Nhay – The jumping and dance ceremony of the Red Dao people, held during the Lunar New Year period in Ta Van village.
- Spring festivals of ethnic minorities in northern Vietnam – A broader overview of the many festivals that take place across the highlands during the spring season.
- Hmong New Year – The most important celebration of the Hmong people, held before the official Vietnamese Tet and marked by colorful markets, courtship rituals, and traditional music.
For a full overview of when and where ethnic minority festivals take place across the region, see the ethnic minority festival calendar for northern Vietnam.
