The spring festivals of the Hmong on the peak of Suoi Giang in Van Chan commune and on Phinh Ho peak in Phinh Ho commune are held annually during Lunar New Year (Tet). This year, the festivities run from the third to the seventh day of the first lunar month.

Rising at dawn, women in Van Chan put on their finest garments before heading to the spring festival, where they join in traditional Hmong games such as nem con, a form of cloth ball throwing.

The con ball is handcrafted from fabric in vivid, eye-catching colors.

Today, tennis balls are sometimes used as a substitute for the traditional cloth ball.

Top spinning remains an indispensable game for Hmong men during every spring festival.

Young girls eagerly take part in skipping rope games.

Ho Thi Sinh, from Van Chan commune, wakes early to prepare and apply makeup before attending the festival. She shares that the spring gathering is a time for the community to celebrate, strengthen bonds and preserve the distinctive cultural traits of their people.

Nearly 30 kilometers from Suoi Giang peak, Hmong residents on Phinh Ho peak also organize their own festival each spring.

Young girls arrive at the Phinh Ho spring festival wearing bright skirts adorned with traditional Hmong patterns.

Women in Phinh Ho play nem con in the ethereal mist of the northwest mountains.

Throughout the festival, women don their most beautiful outfits.

Little girls proudly wear new dresses.

Even infants carried on their mothers’ backs are brought along to join the festivities.

Some participants use smartphones to introduce their hometown’s spring festival to friends and relatives.

Meanwhile, groups of men immerse themselves in playing shuttlecock kicking, a popular pastime among the Hmong in Phinh Ho.

Le Anh Dung