Rooted in rice fields and the rhythms of nature, Xo Nam Pha - a traditional ritual to “ask the sky for water” - is being revived by the Thai ethnic community in western Vietnam, bringing a fading part of village culture back to life.
In the Thai language, “nam” means water and “pha” means sky. Together, “Xo Nam Pha” means “asking the sky for water.”
Behind those three simple words lies a way of life shaped by agriculture: people’s dependence on nature and their enduring hope for favorable weather, enough water for the fields, thriving crops and peace in the village.
A plea for rain remembered by the village
Chau Loc is a particularly disadvantaged mountainous commune in western Nghe An Province, formed through the merger of Lien Hop and Chau Loc communes.
Its eight villages are home to more than 7,200 people from three ethnic groups - Kinh, Thai and Tho - with ethnic Thai people accounting for around 89% of the population.
For generations, local life has revolved around wet-rice fields, hillside farms, rivers, streams and forests. Water and weather have therefore always held a special place in both agricultural production and spiritual life.
When prolonged drought left fields parched and plants withering, Thai villagers would perform the Xo Nam Pha rain-praying ritual, expressing their hopes for water and a successful harvest.
Historical accounts of the Thai rain-praying tradition in the former Quy Hop District, which included present-day Chau Loc, show that it was deeply communal.
Old and young, men and women would gather in groups and walk from house to house through the village, singing traditional rain-praying verses in the Thai language.
Songs and blessings passed from one household to another, all expressing the same wish: for rain to fall, fields to receive enough water, crops to flourish, livestock to multiply and the village to prosper.
In Chau Loc today, memories of the rain-praying tradition survive through the stories of elders, artisans and others knowledgeable about Thai culture.
Lo Van Vinh, a respected community figure and head of Khuc Ich Village, welcomed efforts by local authorities to revive the tradition.
“We are very happy that the authorities are restoring and preserving Xo Nam Pha,” Vinh said. “This will help the valuable cultural identity of the Thai community be passed on more effectively in today’s life.”
Lo Van Vinh, a respected community figure and head of Khuc Ich Village, rehearses for the revival of the Xo Nam Pha ritual in Chau Loc Commune. Photo: Courtesy of organizers
The revival of Xo Nam Pha is not limited to a single day of performances.
Throughout September 2026, Chau Loc is carrying out surveys and collecting historical material while organizing training and instruction in rituals, ceremonial practices, traditional games and folk performances.
Five artisans and around 80 ethnic Thai participants are involved. They include ritual practitioners and shamans, musicians who play traditional wind instruments and flutes, performers of nhuon singing and Thai lam, brocade weavers and others with knowledge of cultural practices associated with the festival.
Dinh Thi Minh Nguyet, an artisan from Que Phong Commune in Nghe An Province who is participating in the revival, said restoring and practicing the ritual in everyday community life could enrich local spiritual and cultural life.
It could also help younger generations better understand their origins and the deep cultural roots preserved by their ancestors, she said.
Keeping heritage from surviving only in memory
Local residents prepare for the revival of the Xo Nam Pha ritual. Photo: Courtesy of organizers
For the Thai community, Xo Nam Pha is more than a ritual for calling for rain.
It reflects the community’s respect for nature and its hopes for a life of abundance. Within the prayers for rain are images of fields needing water, rice plants waiting for rain, livestock requiring food and families hoping for a peaceful year.
The festival embodies another important value: community solidarity.
There is no strict separation between performers and spectators. Elders pass knowledge to younger generations, while artisans teach those who will follow them.
The Thai language, songs, folk music and dances, traditional instruments, clothing and games all come together within a shared cultural space.
Nguyen Tat Kien, chairman of the Chau Loc Commune People’s Committee, said the community itself is considered the central force in preserving the tradition.
Village elders and heads, ritual practitioners, respected community figures, artisans and people knowledgeable about Thai culture are brought together to discuss and agree on how the ritual should be restored.
Ethnic Thai women rehearse a dance for the Xo Nam Pha ritual. Photo: Courtesy of organizers
Lo Van Vinh, a respected community figure and head of Khuc Ich Village, guides residents taking part in the revival of the Xo Nam Pha ritual. Photo: Courtesy of organizers
The goal, Kien said, is to preserve its original values while limiting excessive theatricalization and avoiding changes that could alter the essential character of the festival.
Many young people have been selected among the 80 participants to learn knowledge and practices preserved by previous generations.
Their involvement is considered essential to ensuring that the heritage does not end with a one-off performance but continues to live within the community.
Xo Nam Pha, then, is about more than “asking the sky for water.”
It is also the story of a community rediscovering its own cultural memory and bringing traditions once woven into everyday village life back to a new generation.
From the rain prayers of the past to the cultural space being recreated today, the message of Xo Nam Pha remains unchanged: a wish for harmony between heaven and earth, enough water for the fields, flourishing crops, happy families, united villages and increasingly prosperous lives.
The Xo Nam Pha rain-praying festival will be held in Chau Loc Commune, Nghe An Province, on Sept. 20, 2026, as part of a program to preserve, restore and promote the traditional festivals of the ethnic Thai community.
As the festival returns, its cultural traditions will not simply be revisited but passed on, allowing the identity of Vietnam’s Thai ethnic community to remain a living part of contemporary life.
Vietnamnet.vn
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