Cho Ro ethnic community in Tuc Trung jubilantly celebrate Sayang Va festival.

Leaders of the province and district together with village patriarch lighting a traditional fire.

On behalf of Cho Ro ethnic community in Tuc Trung, Dieu Van Cao-a village patriarch addressed to inaugurate the festival, carry out rice god and forest god worshipping rite according to traditional ritual.

Cho Ro are native inhabitants of Dong Nai. About 11,000 Cho Ro people live in Dong nai ( according to 1999 statistics). It is the third biggest community of 40 ethnic communities in Dong Nai. Cho Ro ethnic community in Tuc Trung have polytheism. Worshiping rite to god of tree and god of rice is maintained and held yearly with Sayang Va festival- the biggest one of this community.      

Sayang Va festival is held with the aim of expressing gratitude to God of Rice that granted the community and households a bumper crop. This festival is also the occasion for them to express gratitude to Gods that supported households, namely God of Mountain, River, Sun, House and Soil…  and to ancestors along with people having merit to the village and country as well as pray gods for peace and luck. This is a good environment for the community to preserve its non-material cultural heritage. 

Source: Dongnai, translated by THKC.