The festival originates from a local legend. In the past, villagers were poor and couldn’t afford medicine, so they sought help from a shaman who used rituals and prayed to the gods to heal them. Beyond gratitude, many asked to become his adopted children. Since then, every year at the end of the lunar year (on the 29th and 30th days of the last month), descendants returned to give thanks to the shaman. However, as that period was busy with Tet preparations, he decided that the thanksgiving ceremony would instead be held annually in the third lunar month.

The Het Cha Festival is a profound spiritual and cultural tradition that unites the Thai ethnic community as they welcome a new crop season. It is an occasion for locals to give thanks to heaven and earth, to their parents and ancestors, and to pray for harmony, fertility, peace, favourable weather, abundant harvests, and the well-being and happiness of all. In 2015, it was recognised as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The ritual part offers adopted children an opportunity to express their gratitude and respect to the shaman who once healed them, reflecting deep humane values. Through reenactments of ancient tales, participants pass down farming knowledge and moral lessons on harmonious living. A distinctive feature of these performances is their humour and wit.

While the ritual part carries a sacred tone, the festive section features activities recreating the daily life of the Thai ethnic community during the establishment of their villages and the building of a new way of life. Folk performances rich in humor and humanity are brought to the stage, such as stories of training buffaloes to plow fields, gathering forest vegetables, catching fish, and going on hunts. Complementing these are graceful, rhythmic xoe dances performed around the neu pole to the lively sounds of drums and gongs, leaving a lasting impression on spectators and visitors alike.