Luc Yen is a mountainous district located in the northeast of Yen Bai province, with 18 ethnic groups living together.
Family members perform the fire dance to pray for good luck and goodness. Each ethnic group has its own unique and distinctive customs and practices creating the richness and diversity of cultures of the ethnic groups in the area. The fire dancing custom of the Red Dao people at the beginning of the year is one of those characteristics … To reschedule up… The fire dancing custom of the Luc Yen Red Dao (Yen Bai) is usually only held on a small scale in the household. Households that practice fire dancing will be passed on from generation to generation. This activity is held every 3 years with the aim of banishing bad luck, praying for family members to have health, a good crop, good life, and a full life. To see firsthand the custom of fire dancing, we went to Khai Trung commune, Luc Yen district on the 4th day of the Tan Suu Lunar New Year. This is a locality where over 90% are the Red Dao people. Thuy Dieu slope winding along a misty mountain slope leads us to this upland commune. Passing the slope a large, flat green plain surrounded by limestone mountains appeared before your eyes. In that green plains is the life of nearly 1,500 Red Dao people. Mixed life of the people is the green color of the mountains, the white of the plum blossoms, the plum blossoms, the red color of cherry blossoms … All combined with the shimmering colors on the dresses of the Dao girls who are bustling in springtime create a poetic spring scene here. The fields, upland fields are also gradually “put on themselves” a lush green with spring sky and earth. “Over the past years, along with focusing on implementing economic development programs and improving the lives of people, the Party Committee and Khai Trung commune authorities have also paid special attention to propaganda and mobilization of people to preserve and upholding customs and practices with many traditional cultural values, prominent such as the restoration and maintenance of the seasonal festival, fire dancing customs of the Red Dao people ”- Mr. Hoang Van Cau, Chairman Khai Trung commune People’s Committee said. 
Rooster is an indispensable mascot in the fire dance ceremony. “Dance” in the coals for good luck Mr. Trieu Tai Quan’s family is one of the few families in the commune that still maintain the custom of jumping fire. This custom is like a “karma” that only in Mr. Quan’s family can carry out from generation to generation. Every three years, Mr. Quan’s family holds a fire jump on the occasion of the New Year. Before the fire dance festival, his family prepared a tray to worship and ask for permission from the ancestors, the gods about the organization of the fire jump. Mr. Phung Thua Hoc – The priest at the fire dance ceremony shared: To prepare for the fire dance ceremony, the host family must invite the priest and prepare the participants to dance about a week earlier, according to the previous regulations. The boys chosen to participate in the fire dance must keep their bodies clean, do not kill, and do not engage in boy and girl affairs for at least 3 days. However, today these regulations are no longer mandatory and strict, just before joining the fire jump the boys wash and wear clean clothes. When it was dusk, a large fire was prepared in the middle of the house, when the fire was almost gone, only bright red coals were the sound of gongs that started the ceremony. In the pounding sound of gongs, 2 priests began to pray for permission of ancestors and gods and read the names of those who participated in the fire. At this time, the participants of the fire dance sit on a bench next to the offering tray and wait to do the “spell” of mindfulness. Listening to the rush of gongs, participants enter the fire as if they are empowered, their bravery will vibrate, shout a sound and jump into the embers with bare feet. They even used their bare hands to throw hot coals into the air and began to “bathe” the fire. Participants will take turns jumping and charring until the fire is over. After participating in the festival, the firefighter’s costumes were only dust, dirty, not scorched, nor were their limbs burned. When the fire dance is over, the two shamans continue to do some rituals to finish. Mr. Phung Van Doanh, a fire-jumping participant, said: The first time joining the fire dance, looking at the red coal was also very apprehensive, only afraid of being burned, but when he was “allowed” by the priest, he was like receiving. More strength, somehow unable to sit still, just rushed into the fire. Having participated a lot, but I have never suffered burns even if I was small. The fire dance practice is practiced by many ethnic minorities, becoming a unique cultural ritual that has existed for a long time. In each community, there is a different way, scale and time to organize but all have the same origin from the worship of fire god, a symbol of life, prosperity, happiness and indispensable in life. human life. At the same time, it is an opportunity for people to give thanks to their ancestors and wish for a good crop and a full life.
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