The river land now wears a different rhythm, bustling and full of vitality during the 11th Swallow Tail Boat Racing Festival, 2026. Even more special among the festival’s activities, the “Unity dance by the Đà River” was organized and established a Vietnam record, a day when Mường Lay became the focal point of community cohesion.

From the afternoon of January 2, crowds began to flock to the area of the Cơ Khí - Nậm Cản bridge - the bridge located in the center of Mường Lay. Everyone chose their most beautiful outfits. White Thái girls in graceful ao com (traditional blouse), with rows of silver buttons sparkling under the lights, along with Hmong boys and girls in traditional costumes, created a vibrant picture of attire. In that crowd, we clearly felt the eagerness in every eye and smile. Mường Lay today seemed wider and longer, about to embrace a dance extending over 6.5km along the Đà River.

According to information from the Organizing Committee, the performance route of the “Unity dance by the Đà River” starts from the Cơ Khí - Nậm Cản bridge, follows Provincial Road 142 through the fields of Mo village, the Khoàng Văn Tấm road section (connecting Mo village and Ổ village), continues along the areas of Ổ village, Bắc 1, and Bắc 2 along the lake, and then closes at the starting point. On that length of over 6.5km, 10,000 people held hands to dance a seamless dance. Just hearing that, we imagined an image that was both massive, symbolic, and very unique.

When we stopped by the bridge, Lò Thị Viên, a student at Mường Lay High School, had arrived very early with a group of friends. With an excited face and radiant eyes, Lò Thị Viên and her friends took the opportunity to take photos to save the moments about to go into the history of this river land. Lò Thị Viên shared: “I have been looking forward to this moment for many days! Because contributing to the record-setting dance is a great pride for a child born and raised by the Đà River like me. Not only that, with such a large-scale and unique cultural activity, it also sows faith and love for the homeland of Mường Lay in the hearts of our young generation”.

In the urgent preparation atmosphere, we met Nguyễn Văn Điềm, Head of the Culture Department of Mường Lay ward. Amidst the crowded stream of people, he still took time to share about the cultural foundation that the locality possesses. Accordingly, this place currently has many unique intangible cultural heritages such as Thái Xòe art, Then Kin Pang Ceremony of the White Thái people, the craft of making khau xen and chi chop cakes, Hmong Khen Art, and the traditional forging craft of the Hmong people in Điện Biên province. In particular, Thái Xòe Art and Then Practice of the Tay, Nung, and Thái people have been inscribed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage representative of humanity. According to Nguyễn Văn Điềm, this is a priceless treasure, an important resource for Mường Lay to develop cultural tourism, while preserving national identity in the modern flow.

“The organization of the ‘Unity dance by the Đà River’ stems from the desire to honor and preserve the traditional cultural values of the ethnic groups in the Northwest region. Community dances closely associated with the spiritual life of the people along the Đà River are brought into a large space, where everyone participates and feels together. Thereby, the image of the people and land of Mường Lay is promoted more widely, creating a bold indigenous cultural mark. The participation of 10,000 people becomes a special highlight, demonstrating the vitality of heritage in today’s life” - Nguyễn Văn Điềm emphasized.

Also according to Nguyễn Văn Điềm, not stopping at cultural significance, the event also carries deep social value. It is a symbol of the great national unity bloc, where officials, civil servants, public employees, armed forces, union members, association members, students, and people of all ethnic groups hold hands in a common rhythm. That dance expresses the spirit of harmony, joy in labor, and aspiration for sustainable development of the Mường Lay people by the Đà River. At the same time, setting the record also opens up opportunities to promote socio-economics, especially tourism development associated with cultural identity.

At 18:30, the music rang out, spreading along the long road by the lake. Thousands of arms held tight simultaneously, footsteps moving gracefully to the familiar Xòe rhythm. Looking down from above, the stream of people looked like a winding colorful silk strip. In that moment, we also quickly stood into the Xòe circle, clearly feeling the warmth spreading through each handhold. Joyful eyes and radiant smiles appeared on everyone’s faces, blurring all distances. Somewhere there were the joyful eyes of students participating in a major event for the first time, the warm looks of the elders as if entrusting cultural memories to the next generation. Some people danced while slightly tilting their heads to exchange friendly looks, some laughed crisply when their steps were not quite even but still in harmony with the dance. The Xòe circle just kept expanding, carrying simple but deep joy, spreading around the Đà River which is silently flowing, persistently nourishing the spiritual life of Mường Lay people through generations.

Besides the main performance, at the paragliding landing area of Mo village, a small Xòe circle with a scale of about 300 people was organized by the flickering fire. The pink fire illuminated radiant faces, highlighting the rustic beauty of community culture. The sound of drums and gongs mixed with laughter created a warm atmosphere in the early afternoon of the year.

Immersing ourselves in the stream of people drunk on the music, we met Vương Ý Nhi, a tourist from Điện Biên Phủ ward. Vương Ý Nhi shared her joy when for the first time immersing herself in such a large-scale cultural event. For her, the moment in the Xòe dance by the Đà River is an unforgettable memory. Vương Ý Nhi shared: “I feel extremely impressed. Standing in the middle of this immense Xòe circle, the boundary between host and guest seems to be erased, leaving only the warmth of human love and pride in national culture...”.

That joy was extended right that evening, at the opening ceremony of the 11th Swallow Tail Boat Racing Festival, 2026. Witnessed by a large number of delegates and people, the Vietnam Records Organization announced and awarded the Certificate “Unity dance by the Đà River” - The community connection performance event by the Đà River with the largest number of participants in Vietnam. Applause rang out incessantly, as an affirmation of the efforts and spirit of consensus of the entire Mường Lay community.

When night fell on Mường Lay, we still could not sleep; in our chests, the warm feeling of handshakes and the Xòe rhythm spreading along the riverbank remained intact. The “Unity dance by the Đà River” closed, but its reverberation continues to resonate, becoming a vivid symbol of the aspiration for solidarity, development, and preservation of cultural identity of the people here. For Mường Lay, it is not only a recorded record but also a golden mark in the journey of building a cultural life rich in identity, sustainable over time.