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| A Rieu Piing has evolved from a reburial ceremony into a grand festival shared by many brotherly ethnic groups |
Preserving memories
In early August, during a work trip to A Luoi, I met the village elder Ho Van Hanh in A Nieng Le Trieng village. Speaking in a slow and deliberate tone, he transported me back to the atmosphere of A Rieu Piing Festival, which was held 2 years ago in A Trieng Hamlet, Trung Son Commune (now A Luoi 1 Commune). “Anyone who was there in those days was truly lucky, as this festival is very special - it is held only once every 10 to 15 years, sometimes even 30 years”, Elder Hanh started reminiscently.
In his memory, August 2023 was a vibrant festival season. As the upland rice harvest had just finished, the entire village buzzed with preparations. Men were chosen to carve tree trunks into A Ponl symbol, a sacred sign affirming the presence of the Pa Co people. Women carefully wrapped A Quat cakes, while the youth worked together to set up festival pavilions and prepare doac wine to welcome guests from all directions.
According to Elder Hanh, “tung ASeol” ritual, which uses bamboo fragments, is the most important moment in the reburial ceremony, when the ancestral remains are brought back to the tomb house. Elder Hanh explained that the tomb house must be built near a stream, as the Pa Co people believe that cool water nourishes the spirit and brings prosperity to descendants. “In front of the tomb house, we decorate patterns in red, black, and white, three colors symbolizing life, death, and eternity,” Elder Hanh shared.
When the ceremonial rites were completed, the sound of drums and gongs echoed throughout the village. The endless xoang circles, which the Pa Co called the “gongs that nourish the departed”, resonated in the air. As night fell, beside the flickering fire, hundreds of people moved in unison, dancing to the rhythm of the gongs. The festival lasted 3 days and 3 nights, like a symphony of the mountains and local people.
Preserving and passing on the cultural identity
Not only a time to honor ancestors, A Rieu Piing is also an occasion for every Pa Co child to find a source of spiritual strength. Ho Thi Lan, a resident of An Trieng hamlet, choked up as she recalled standing before her sister’s newly built tomb: “A Rieu Piing makes me believe that my sister is still here, still watching over us. The festival is a place where the living can “see the departed again” through faith and gratitude.
On the last day of the festival, the sacrificial ritual was performed. In the past, each clan was required to offer a buffalo; but nowadays, the villagers are more flexible. The offering can be a buffalo, cow, or goat, depending on their circumstances. This is how the Pa Co people maintain the core of the ritual while adapting it to contemporary life.
Elder Hanh believes that what matters most in the festival is sincerity, not formality. The spirit must be preserved, but wastefulness should be avoided in a way that suits modern life. Fortunately, the younger generation of Pa Co people does not stand aside. They help set up the pavilions, wrap the cakes, and immerse themselves in the rhythm of drums and xoang dances.
Building on that foundation, A Luoi District (now the communes of A Luoi 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) has gradually expanded the scale of the festival, turning A Rieu Piing into a grand celebration shared by many brotherly ethnic groups such as the Pa Co, Ta Oi, Co Tu, and Pa Hy, etc. This larger festival is known as A Rieu Car. In recent years, A Rieu Car has been reenacted at the A Luoi District Traditional Cultural Village. Each time it is reenacted, not only locals but also visitors from afar are immersed in the sacred and lively atmosphere. Many rituals are carefully dramatized and selected, preserving the festival’s essence while making it more accessible to audiences.
Le Thi Them, former Head of the Department of Culture, Science, and Information of A Luoi District (now Head of the Party Building Committee of A Luoi 1 Commune), said: “The important thing is to preserve the essence while eliminating outdated practices, such as buffalo stabbing rituals or superstitious ceremonies. A Rieu Piing, once a traditional reburial festival of a single ethnic group, has now become a grand celebration uniting all the ethnic groups living along the Truong Son range. It not only strengthens community bonds but also promotes the local cultural identity.
Conserving the heritage of tomb house
The art of tomb house carving is an inseparable part of the A Rieu Piing festival. The wood carvings, painted in red, black, and white, are not only aesthetically striking but also embody a philosophy of life, death, and the continuity of the lineage.
According to Ms. Le Thi Them, this art form is now at risk of fading, as few artisans still possess the skill and dedication required. “When organizing the festival or reenacting A Rieu Car, we always consult with the village elders to preserve the carving style, so it can be passed on to the younger generation,” she said.
Preserving the art of tomb houses not only safeguards the essence of the festival but also creates unique value for developing cultural tourism. Visitors to A Luoi can not only immerse themselves in the sounds of gongs and xoang dances, but also have the opportunity to admire the unique wood carvings, bearing the mark of the skill and spirit of the Pa Co people.