Sayangva - A source of pride in Dong Nai’s cultural heritage treasure

Sayangva is the most important traditional festival of the Cho Ro people, held annually to express gratitude to the deities for granting a bountiful harvest, favorable weather, prosperity, and happiness.

The annual ritual of procession of the Rice Goddess is in the Sayangva Festival of the Cho Ro ethnic group in Dong Nai

The recognition of the Sayangva Festival as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage is not only a source of pride for the Cho Ro ethnic community in Dong Nai, but also affirms the enduring vitality and distinctive cultural values of the heritage. Thereby, it helps educate the younger generation about traditions, fosters community cohesion, and promotes the development of cultural tourism in Dong Nai.

A source of pride for the Cho Ro people in Dong Nai

The Sayangva Festival originates from the agricultural beliefs of the Cho Ro people. In the past, people believed that rice grains were the soul of life, bestowed by deities. When a bumper harvest came, the community had to organize worship rituals to express their gratitude to the Rice Goddess and the Mountain God for their protection and blessings. Through many generations, the festival has been maintained as a testament to the spirit of gratitude and the close attachment to land and forests, and to the wet-rice civilization of the Cho Ro people.

Village elder Nguyen Van Long (in Hang Gon Ward) said: The Sayangva Festival usually takes place around the second and third lunar months each year, when the last baskets of rice have been brought into storage. This is also the time when the community gives thanks to the deities and prays for a new season with favorable weather. The most important ritual of the festival is the procession of the rice soul from the fields to the house, then into the granary. Alongside the rituals, the festive part takes place vibrantly with many folk games, gong performances, dances; at the same time, local people together enjoy traditional cuisine such as bamboo-tube rice and can wine.

“Thanks to the attention of authorities at all levels, in recent years, the Sayangva Festival has been continuously elevated in both content and form, attracting a large number of people, students, and university students to participate in. Now that the festival has been recognized by the State as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, people are very happy. We will continue to encourage and educate our children and grandchildren to learn gong performance, preserve and promote the values of our traditional festival”, elder Long shared.

According to village elder Hung Van Xung (in Binh Hoa Hamlet, Xuan Phu Commune), in the Sayangva Festival, the custom of erecting and hanging a Neu tree plays a very important role, as a ceremonial announcement through which the community believes that the Rice Goddess, other deities, and ancestors will know and come to attend the ritual. The Neu tree is usually made from straight bamboo or wood, with the top decorated with flags, tassels, leaves, and many items symbolizing prosperity.

The village elder Hung Van Xung expressed: “Sayangva is not only a ritual ceremony but also the biggest festival of the year for the Cho Ro people. Despite many changes in life, whenever the festival season comes, everyone is excited. I only hope that in the future, wherever our descendants go or whatever they do, they will always remember Sayangva, remembering that the Cho Ro people in Dong Nai have a very sacred festival closely associated with rice grains and with life”.

Spreading the values of national intangible cultural heritage

For many years, the Sayangva festival has been organized annually and expanded in scale in localities such as Phu Ly, Xuan Phu, Bao Vinh, Hang Gon, Dinh Quan, Tan Phu, Cam My… In the past, inviting guests was made on a personal basis, now the festival sees the participation of a large number of residents in hamlets, neighborhoods, and visitors from near and far. The festival space is often organized at cultural houses of ethnic groups with many activities such as arts performances, sports, and folk dance performances, creating a vibrant and attractive atmosphere. As a result, the festival is not only of agricultural significance but also becomes a destination for education, experience, and the dissemination of heritage values.

Chairman of the Dong Nai Historical Science Association Tran Quang Toai said: The inclusion of the Sayangva Festival of the Cho Ro people in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List has particularly important significance in the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values. This serves as a basis for the Cho Ro community to continue preserving and practicing the festival, contributing to affirming and spreading the distinctive cultural identity of Dong Nai, a land with nearly 330 years of formation and development.

“In addition to maintaining the organization of the festival within the community, Dong Nai should study and build a ‘model’ Sayangva Festival at ethnic boarding schools, thereby creating a vivid and intuitive educational environment to help the younger generation deeply understand their roots, raising awareness of responsibility in promoting the beauty of their traditional culture to domestic and international friends”, Tran Quang Toai said.

To preserve and promote the value of the intangible cultural heritage of the Sayangva Festival, according to Director of Dong Nai Museum Nguyen Ngoc Yen, in the coming time, the museum will continue to promote inventory work and digitize data on the festival; at the same time, coordinate with units and localities to build programs linking heritage with sustainable tourism development. The core objective is to ensure that the heritage truly “lives” and spreads within the community, becoming a distinctive cultural tourism product, contributing to improving the spiritual life of the people.

On April 19, at the Cultural House of the Cho Ro Ethnic Community in Bao Vinh ward, a ceremony was held to announce the inclusion of the Sayangva Festival (Rice Goddess worship ritual) of the Cho Ro people in Dong Nai Province in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. This is not only a source of pride for the Cho Ro people of Dong Nai Province, but also holds great significance in protecting cultural heritage, serving as a way for today’s generation to preserve and pass on traditional values to future generations.

By My Ny - Translated by Diec Quyen, Thu Ha