The Nung ethnic group has the largest population compared to other ethnic groups in the province. They mainly reside in Son Dong, Luc Ngan, Luc Nam, and Yen The districts.

The Dao ethnic group's ritual for bumper harvest.

The Nung people have a rich folk culture and their customs and practices also have unique features that differ from some other ethnic groups, typically the custom of worshiping the local god of land at the beginning of the year.

On the afternoon of the 30th of Lunar December, the villagers send people to clean the shrine worshipping the local god of land. Since early morning of the 1st day of Tet holiday, families have prepared two trays of offerings, one tray at the ancestral altar and one tray to bring to the shrine.

The offerings on the tray usually include boiled castrated rooster, Banh Chung, candy, white wine, white rice, incense and votive paper among others.

Worshipping the local god is also different. Some places choose an elderly, prestigious person in the village to represent them while others invite a shaman or a representative to perform the worship for their family, praying for a peaceful, prosperous and healthy new year.

Some localities consider this worship a competition to see which family has a "lucky hand" and a prosperous business in the old year through an indispensable offering on the offering tray, which is a castrated rooster. The family with the biggest, fattest castrated rooster feels very excited and is praised by everyone.

After the ceremony, families will receive blessings at the shrine, with chickens, Banh Chung and bowls of white rice to take home. The wine poured out to worship the local god of land will be poured back around the shrine.

The bowl of white rice brought home will be sprinkled to feed the chickens, with the hope that in the new year the gods will bless the family with a prosperous business, a full coop of chickens, and a full granary of rice.

Lanh Van Tap, Deputy Director of the Center for Culture, Information and Sports of Luc Ngan district, said: "The Nung ethnic people attach great importance to this land god worshiping ceremony. It is not only a simple spiritual and religious ceremony, but also contains solidarity and close ties with the residential community".

The Nung ethnic people in Luc Ngan district wear traditional costumes on a spring day.

In October 2024, the Center for Culture, Information and Sports of Luc Ngan district restored the land god worshiping ceremony of the Tay and Nung people and performed it at the 11th Northeast Ethnic Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival held in Lang Son.

Along with the land god worshiping ceremony, during the spring days, the spiritual rituals related to the people's lives and production are still maintained in some mountainous and highland districts. The purpose of the festival is to pray for favorable weather, good winds and bountiful crops as well as to pay gratitude to the heaven, the earth and the gods.

In addition to preserve unique festivals and worshipping customs during spring days, many localities pay attention to conserving ethnic minority performing arts associated with tourism development.

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