On December 31, 2025, the Khmu people of Ping'an Village and Phonghong Village in Dongpeng District, Bokeo Province, Laos, solemnly held their traditional New Year celebration, the "Khmu Festival." Thongloun Romisay, Secretary of the Dongpeng District Committee and District Head, along with village officials, community elders, and people of various ethnic groups, gathered to celebrate the festival and discuss future development.
The Khmu people are an important member of the Lao national family. The Khmu people of Ping'an and Phonghong Villages have passed down the fine virtues of diligence, bravery, unity, and mutual assistance for generations. The Khmu Festival, an important traditional festival for the Khmu people to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new, is held annually from late December to early January when agricultural work is less demanding. It combines harvest gratitude, sacrificial prayers, and community celebration, serving as an important vehicle for showcasing the essence of Khmu culture.
During the festival, every household brings out the year's harvest, slaughters livestock, and prepares special delicacies. They solemnly worship their deities and sacred objects, giving thanks to heaven, earth, ancestors, and all the gods for their blessings and gifts over the past year, and praying for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest in the new year.
The climax of the festival is the sacred "tying of threads" ceremony, presided over by respected elders. White cotton threads, symbolizing good fortune, health, and blessings, are carefully tied to the wrists of each guest, conveying the warmth and expectations of the ethnic group. The most distinctive social scene is the "sharing of rice wine": people sit around a jar, holding slender bamboo tubes, and drink rice wine brewed using traditional methods. The flowing wine perfectly embodies the Kham people's cultural tradition of sharing, mutual assistance, unity, and harmony.
The celebration is lively and vibrant, with traditional celebratory activities such as ball-throwing games, folk song duets, and bamboo pole dances taking place one after another. Laughter and joy fill the air, and the rich festive atmosphere permeates everyone present. In addition, the event showcased traditional Khmu handicrafts, agricultural tools, and distinctive ethnic costumes, vividly presenting the unique charm and profound heritage of Khmu culture through these exhibits.
The successful hosting of this Gre Festival not only preserved and passed on the essence of Khmu folk customs but also highlighted the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone's strong emphasis on the protection and inheritance of Lao indigenous culture during its modernization process. Through the Special Economic Zone's active participation and resource investment, Laos' rich folk cultural resources are gradually being integrated into the regional tourism development framework, providing solid cultural support for the coordinated development and cultural prosperity of the Special Economic Zone and surrounding communities.
