Coc Ly commune in Bac Ha district in northern mountainous Lao Cai province is home to a large forest, including thousand-year-old trees recognised for their heritage value. It is also known as a sacred forest by local people and is where they hold worshipping rituals.
They believe that the forest god helps them drive away dangerous animals and provides wood to build houses. With such beliefs, people only visit the forest for worshiping and would never dare to sneak in on their own.
In particular, forest worshipping is an occasion for villagers to look at forest protection work, which involves the participation of local authorities and representatives from all families.
Forest worshipping is a community activity of ethnic minority people in Lao Cai. Apart from its spiritual meaning, the ritual also helps connect people with nature./.
