The Fish Festival, also known as Tet Khau Rang, or the New Rice Celebration, is a distinctive cultural tradition of the Tay ethnic community in Mau Due Commune. The festival is closely associated with the cultural and spiritual life and agricultural practices of local people.
Rooted in the tradition of wet-rice cultivation combined with raising carp in rice paddies, the Tay people established the custom of celebrating the Fish Festival on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month each year. The occasion expresses reverence and gratitude towards ancestors, while conveying hopes for favourable weather, abundant harvests and prosperous lives.
During the festival, families prepare traditional dishes made from rice-field carp, including fish grilled with ginger leaves, steamed fish with pickled bamboo shoots, fish cooked in bamboo tubes, fish salad and other local specialities, as offerings to their ancestors.
Fish racing is a particularly distinctive folk activity, bringing joy to children and helping strengthen community bonds.
In recognition of its outstanding cultural values, the Fish Festival of the Tay people in Mau Due Commune was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2016.
This year's festival features a wide range of cultural and artistic performances, sporting activities, folk games and traditional culinary experiences.
Activities such as fish racing, catching fish by hand, preparing traditional ethnic dishes, and displaying and introducing local products vividly recreate the Tay people's working life, customs and cultural traditions.
Beyond its significance for heritage preservation, the festival also provides an opportunity to introduce local agricultural products and specialities, particularly Mau Due rice-field carp, while promoting the area's natural landscapes, indigenous culture and potential for community-based tourism.
