The water-splashing tradition of the Lao community in Muong Luan has a long history. Since 1974, local people have performed rituals such as bathing Buddha statues at pagodas and carrying them to rivers and streams for ceremonial cleansing. However, the festival was interrupted in 1977 and was only revived in 2025.

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Artistic performances at the festival

According to Nguyen Trong Hue, Chairman of the Muong Luan Commune People’s Committee, the festival is not only a unique folk cultural event reflecting the identity of the Lao ethnic group but also a distinctive spiritual tourism product and a cultural highlight of the locality. He emphasized that restoring the festival plays an important role in preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, strengthening community bonds, and passing heritage on to younger generations.

Local resident Lo Thi Son shared that splashing water on one another symbolizes washing away the dust and misfortunes of the old year, welcoming luck, purity, and a fresh start in the new year.

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Ritual of bathing Buddha statues at the pagoda
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Lao ethnic girls perform river bathing rituals in Muong Luan.

Visitors to the festival enjoyed vibrant artistic performances, participated in traditional folk games, and directly experienced the water-splashing ritual, an iconic activity symbolizing wishes for good fortune, the dispelling of bad luck, and hopes for a peaceful and happy new year.

Translated by Trung Thanh