Prepare dossier to propose Dau Festival and Nghi Khuc village’s chicken and sticky rice offering ritual as national intangible cultural heritage

Sticky rice and chicken offering ceremony in Nghi Khuc village, An Binh ward, Thuan Thanh town.

According to the Plan, the list of heritages to be documented includes: Dau region festival in Thuan Thanh town, Bac Ninh province; and the chicken and sticky rice offering ceremony in Nghi Khuc village, An Binh ward, Thuan Thanh town, Bac Ninh province.

The dossier is made according to the guidance of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, including: Profile of intangible cultural heritage; photos of heritage; documentary films; audio recordings on tape or disc; map of heritage location distribution; field survey report related to heritage.

According to the Plan, from March to May 2025, a survey and inventory of 02 cultural heritages are conducted; from May to August 2025, the dossier, consult experts and managers are completed, and the dossier is sent to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism for review and report to the Provincial People’s Committee.

Traditionally, the Dau festival is jointly organized by 12 villages of Khuong Tu commune, also known as Dau commune, now the villages of Thanh Khuong, Ha Man, and Tri Qua wards. The center of the festival is Dau pagoda. This is the earliest ancient pagoda in our country, and it is one of the historical and religious relics marking the origin of Buddhism in Vietnam. Currently, Dau pagoda is known as the most famous place in Kinh Bac, with unique and outstanding values ​​in terms of architectural and artistic history. Dau festival takes place over 2 days (the 8th and 9th of the 4th lunar month).

The Nghi Khuc village sticky rice and chicken offering ceremony takes place on the 4th day of the 2nd lunar month every year. The festival has a sticky rice and chicken competition to enter the communal house for the elderly from 49 to 50 years old. After the ceremony, the sticky rice and chicken will be brought to the communal house yard to compete. Legend has it that those who win the sticky rice and chicken prizes will have a prosperous business and complete happiness. The Nghi Khuc village sticky rice and chicken offering ceremony has been maintained for many years, contributing to preserving the unique ancient cultural features of the Bac Ninh-Kinh Bac land.