The New Rice Festival of ethnic groups in Ngoc Chien commune has been passed down from generation to generation, aiming to affirm the beauty of traditional culture, customs, beliefs, and spiritual life of ethnic minorities in the locality.

Ngoc Chien commune's New Rice Festival 2023 began with a new rice offering ceremony at Don Ho temple in Muong Chien village. The shaman performed rituals to express gratitude to ancestors, heaven and earth, and pray for favourable weather, bumper crops, and a prosperous life. After performing the rituals at the ancestral temple, households prepared a new rice offering ceremony at home. Depending on each family's conditions, they invite guests to join in the ceremony. Women made green rice and cook food from the rice harvested from the new crop; while men prepared dishes from pigs, chickens, fish, cows, goats, wild bees, mice and pumpkins. The offering tray was placed near the ancestral altar by the head of the family. After the worshipping ritual, the host invited guests to celebrate the festival with ‘ruou can’ (wine drunk out of a jar through pipes) and glutinous rice wine.

On the stage, the Pang A Festival of the La Ha ethnic group was re-enacted in Ke village, Ngoc Chien commune. The festival is held by La Ha people in every March to express gratitude to the gods and traditional healers who protect the villagers, and pray for bumper crops, good health and good luck for the villagers.

Immediately after the rituals, the festive activities took place, including an art performance themed "The new rice season in Ngoc Chien" by artisans and art teams of 15 villages of Ngoc Chien commune. It featured songs, dances and music praising the Party, President Ho Chi Minh, the renovated homeland of Son La, the love of couples, the beautiful natural scenery of Muong La and the scent of Ngoc Chien rice.

In addition, there were folk games, including a green rice making competition, men's and women's grapefruit soccer matches, goat fighting and fishing competitions, receiving enthusiastic cheers and encouragement from the attendees.

The New Rice Festival is organized annually by in Ngoc Chien commune during the ripe rice season in late August and early September to restore, preserve, and promote the fine traditional cultural values of people of all ethnic groups; encourage the people to build a cultural life and expand specialized areas for sticky rice cultivation. It is also to strengthen the promotion and introduction of the potential and cultural identities of Muong La district's ethnic groups in general and the unique culture of the people in Ngoc Chien commune in particular, attracting tourists inside and outside the province.

Ngoc Chien commune's New Rice Festival 2023 takes place for two days (September 2 and 3) at Muong Chien stadium, Ngoc Chien commune, Muong La district.