Praying for Peace - Xinh Mun's Sacred Tradition

Every spring, when white forest flowers cover the mountains of Son La, the Xinh Mun ethnic people hold the Mang Ma Ceremony, a traditional ritual to pray for peace. This ceremony is a time for the whole village to come together, offer prayers for health and safety, honor their ancestors, and strengthen their connection to nature and the spiritual world.

Xinh Mun women gracefully perform a joyful dance to celebrate the Mang Ma Ceremony.

 

For the Xinh Mun, good health depends on the harmony of all the spirits or souls, within a person. If even one spirit goes missing or becomes unsettled, it can lead to illness or bad luck. When someone is sick for a long time, an epidemic spreads, or a hamlet shaman senses a spiritual problem, the community holds the Mang Ma Ceremony. This sacred ritual calls back the lost soul, drives away misfortune, and helps restore balance and well-being to the hamlet.

At the center of the ritual space stands a tall ceremonial pole, crafted from mature bamboo and adorned with symbolic items like white ban blossoms (Bauhinia variegate), cicada figures, jungle vines, carved wooden fish and rice stalks. At the base are miniature models of everyday life - houses, plows and livestock, creating a symbolic world that reflects the Xinh Mun ideal of living in harmony with nature.

The main ceremony is led by two shamans, a senior shaman who safeguards tradition, and a younger one who has been chosen and mentored as a spiritual heir. Together, they guide the sacred proceedings, offering rituals, inviting deities and ancestors to witness and bless the gathering, and calling the wandering spirits home. These prayers carry heartfelt hopes for personal health, plentiful harvests, thriving livestock, and a peaceful, happy hamlet.

A shaman prays before the elaborately adorned pole, rich with spiritual symbols.

 

Once the solemn rites conclude, the atmosphere shifts into a vibrant festival. Drums and gongs echo through the hills as villagers break into the graceful, rhythmic movements of the Xoe dance. Traditional games and performances like boat-pulling, mock rice planting, fencing, and honeycomb gathering follow, each one portraying the daily life, labor, and cultural identity of the Xinh Mun community.

Everyone joins in singing and dancing, wishing for health, a bountiful harvest, and happiness.

In 2020, the Mang Ma Ceremony was officially recognized by Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

By Viet Cuong/VNP    Translated by Nguyen Tuoi