Fire-jumping – special cultural festival of the Dao ethnic minority people

Before the festival, local people dance and sing

The festival is divided into two parts, ritual practices and festive activities. In the first part, the Dao people arrange rice, wine, boiled chicken, water taken from streams, white fabric, incense, paper money and candles or oil lamps on a long wood table as offerings to the god. The ritual lasts for several hours. In the ritual part, powwows pray for a lucky, peaceful and happy year, favorable weather condition and good health for local people. 

The festive part takes place in a spacious yard with a pile of burning wood in the center. Before young men jump into wood embers, they sit around a powwow who introduces their names to the god. Those whose names are called will hop from the powwow’s place and then jump into the burning wood embers. They dance with their bare foot and throw the embers by their hands without fear. Each person dances for three-four minutes and hop back to the starting point.

This game is designed for men only and each person can perform many times to show their courage and physical strength. Before taking part in the game, participating men have to keep their body clean if they do not want to be burnt.

Dao men jump into wood embers to show their courage and strength

Deputy Head of the Culture and Information Office of Hoang Su Phu district Tran Chi Nhan said that the fire-jumping festival of the Dao people has passed down from generation to generation, showing the strength and courage of Dao men. The festival bearing special cultural features of the Dao people should be studied and preserved, Nhan added.

Translated by Tran Hoai