|
Festivals in September
Provinces:
An Giang,
Ba Ria - Vung Tau,
Hanoi,
Ha Tay,
Hai Phong,
Hung
Yen,
Nam Dinh,
Ninh Binh,
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City),
Thai Binh,
Thanh Hoa,
Tien Giang,
Vinh Phuc.
See
Vietnam lunar calendar
Tet Trung Thu
(Mid-Autumn Festival)
Time: 15th day of the eighth lunar
month.
Location: Every family.
Objects of worship: The Moon.
Activities: Feast of banh nuong and banh deo (pastries),
procession of lights, lion dance.
Tet Trung Thu is formerly autumn festival, and then
becomes tet trong trang (moon looking festival) of
children. On this day, the moon is the brightest and
roundest in the year, cool weather. The festival
involves the custom of trong trang, procession of lights
(parading with lanterns shaped as moon and stars), lion
dance and eating pasties and fruits.
Traditional festivals in Vinh
Phuc province:
Bach Tru (Ke Bach) Festival
Time: 9th to the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Tien Thang Commune, Me Linh District, Vinh Phuc
Province.
Objects of worship: My Nuong, and Cong Son - a general
of Hai Ba Trung.
Activities: Procession of Ba's palanquin,
sacrifices-offering ceremony, banh giay making contest.
Traditional festivals in
Ninh Binh province:
Yen Cu Festival
Time: 20th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Khanh Cu Commune, Yen Khanh District, Ninh Binh
Province.
Objects of worship: Tran Hung Dao, his wife and
princesses.
Activities: Procession of palanquin across Day
River to Phu Hao Village.
Traditional
festivals in Hai Phong City:
Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival
Time: The 9th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Do Son Dist., Hai Phong City.
Objects of worship: Water genie.
Activities: Buffalo fighting, the cult of water
genie.
The Buffalo Fight in Do Son (Hai Phong City) is
officially held every year on the 9th day of the eighth
month of the lunar calendar. There are, in fact, two
rounds of elimination before the middle of the fifth
month and 8th day of the sixth lunar month.
The preparation for this festival is very elaborate.
Fighting buffaloes must be carefully selected, well fed,
and trained. These buffaloes must be between 4 and 5
years old, with a good appearance, a wide chest, a big
groin, a long neck, an acute bottom, and bow shaped
horns. The fighting buffaloes are fed in separate cages
to keep them from contact with common buffaloes.
The beginning of the worshipping ceremony lasts until
lunch time. A typical procession begins with an octet
and a big procession chair, carried by six strong young
men. The six clean buffaloes that are part of the
ceremony are covered with red cloths and bound with
reddish bands on their horns. There are 24 young men who
dance and wave flags as two teams of troops start
fighting. After this event, a pair of buffaloes are led
to opposite sides of the festival grounds and are made
to stand near two flags called Ngu Phung. When the right
signal is released, the two buffaloes are moved to
within 20m of each other. At the next signal, the two
leaders release the ropes that are attached to the noses
of the buffaloes. The two buffaloes then rush into each
other with well practiced movements. The spectators then
shout and urge the fighting along.
At the completion of the fight, the spectacle of
"receiving the buffaloes" is very interesting as the
leaders must then catch the winning buffalo to grant it
its reward.
The Buffalo Fight in Do Son is a traditional festival
that is attached to a Water God worshipping ceremony and
the "Hien Sinh" custom. The most typical reason for the
ceremony is to express the martial spirit of the local
people in Do Son, Hai Phong.
Earth firecracker Festival
Time: 3rd day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Tan Hung, Tam Da, Tan Liên Communes, Vinh Bao
District, Hai Phong City.
Activities: Earth firecracker contest. Each earth
firecracker is refined carefully, 25kg to 30kg in
weight. After the starting signal, players lift earth
firecracker high then beat it down. Which one has
longest piece will win the prize.
Ha Communal House Festival
Time: 20th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Hong Bang District, Hai Phong City.
Objects of worship: The Buddha, Tran Hung Dao, Tran Quoc
Toan, Chua Lieu, Nguyen Cong Tru.
Activities: Sacrifices-offering ceremony, incense
offering.
Phu Xa Temple Festival
Time: The 20th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Dong Hai Ward, Hai An District, Hai Phong City.
Objects of worship: Tran Hung Dao, Lady Bui Thi Tu Nhien
- who kept food store house of Dai Viet army and had
merit of rebuilding Phu Xa Temple.
Activities: Sacrifice-offering ceremony, procession
of ancestral tablet, Chinese chess, cock fighting.
Tat Giang Festival (Dum singing at night on river
Festival)
Time: 10th to the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Phuc Le Commune, Thuy Nguyen District, Hai
Phong
City.
Activities: Singers rowing on river, songs are
composed by themselves, the contest is taken Location in 3
nights, who cannot make repartees is lost.
Traditional
festivals in Hung Yen province:
Mai Vien Festival
Time: 2nd day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Kim Dong District, Hung Yen Province.
Objects of worship: The village's tutelary gods (Two
princesses - Ao Do Dai Vuong mandarins).
Activities: Offerings are black pig, steamed
glutinous rice, wine, and singing.
Traditional
festivals in Ha Tay province:
Bat Nao Festival
Time: 15th to the 18th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Phu Nhieu Hamlet, Quang Trung Commune, Phu Xuyen
District, Ha Tay Province.
Objects of worship: Truong Cong, Khanh Cong (Dình Bat
Nao), also called Tho Lenh or Than Trung Thanh, general
of the 18th Hung King.
Activities: Sacrifice to the god, ho cua dinh,
praying for people and things prosperous, good crops.
Huu Vinh Temple Festival
Time: Spring Festival: 10th to the 12th day of the first
lunar month. Autumn Festival: 12th day of the 8th lunar
month.
Location: Hong Quang Commune, Ung Hoa District, Ha Tay
Province.
Objects of worship: Quang Xung.
Activities: Palanquin procession, boat contest,
wrestling.
Nguyen Trai Temple Festival
Time: The 16th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Nhi Khe Village, Nhi Khe Commune, Thuong Tin
District, Ha Tay Province.
Objects of worship: Nguyen Trai.
Activities: Incense-offering ceremony in
commemorating his death anniversary (the 16th day of the
eighth lunar month), visiting his statue and Worshipping
House.
Traditional
festivals in Nam Dinh province:
Bao Loc Temple Festival
Time: 20th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: My Loc District, Nam Dinh Province.
Objects of worship: Tran Hung Dao.
Activities: Sacrifices-offering ceremony and
popular games.
Co Trach Temple Festival
Time: 18th to the 20th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Loc Vuong Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province.
Objects of worship: Tran Kings.
Activities: Sacrifices-offering ceremony, paying
pilgrimage, incense offering.
Co Tung Hamlet Festival
Time: 1st day of the ninth lunar month.
Location: Nam Hong Commune, Nam Truc District, Nam Dinh
Province.
Objects of honour: Village's tutelary god - Pham Hoang
Giap, who had merit of fighting aggressors on sea.
Dong Cao Temple Festival
Time: 18th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Dong Cao Village, Yen Loc Commune, Y Yen
District, Nam Dinh Province.
Objects of worship: An Duong Vuong and My Chau.
Activities: Procession of My Nuong's palanquin to
visit and confess her faults with her father.
Tran Temple Festival
Time: 15th to the 20th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Loc Vuong Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province.
Objects of worship: 14 Tran Kings.
Activities: Proclamation worshipping, procession, cheo singing, sword dance.
The cluster monuments of Tran Temple is located in the
surbub of Nam Dinh in a large area of more than 10
hectare
with many communal houses, pagodas, temples, tombs,
stone shrines which were erected at the Location where the
old palaces used to stand. Thien Truong Temples
dedicated to the 14 Tran Kings. Co Trach Temple
dedicated to Tran Hung Dao. Bao Loc Temple, tomb and
statue of Tran Hung Dao are also belongs to this relic.
Tran Temple Festival involves some rituals and cultural
activities: proclamation worshipping, palanquin
procession, cheo singing, van singing, bai bong dance,
sword dance, and wrestling.
Truc Chinh Communal House Festival
Time: 10th to the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Truc Chinh Commune, Truc Ninh District, Nam Dinh
Province.
Objects of worship: Trieu Quang Phuc.
Activities: Sacrifices-offering ceremony, preparing
feast contest of 18 giap, banh giay making contest, fat
pig feeding contest.
Traditional
festivals in Thai Binh province:
Am Pagoda Festival
Time: The 2nd day of the ninth lunar month.
Location: Vu Tay Commune, Kien Xuong District, Thai Binh
Province.
Objects of worship: Nguyen Minh Khong - the teacher of
the prince who had merit of treating King Ly Than Tong
of hoa ho (behavior and action of a tiger) disease.
Activities: Procession, incense - offering
ceremony, praying, boat racing (tell the old tale of
Nguyen Minh Khong).
Dong Bang Festival
Time: 20th to the 26th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: An Le Commune, Quynh Phu District, Thai Binh
Province.
Objects of worship: Tran Hung Dao.
Activities: Procession, worshipping god, boat race.
Dong Bang Festival
Time: 20th to the 26th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: An Le Commune, Quynh Phu District, Thai Binh
Province.
Objects of worship: Tran Hung Dao.
Activities: Procession, worshipping god, boat race.
Vu Lang Festival
Time: The 10th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Vu Lang Commune, Tien Hai District, Thai Binh
Province.
Objects of worship: Four tutelary gods.
Activities: Four tutelary gods procession, buffalo
fighting: buffaloes drink wine, covered the eyes then
taken to fighting arena (fighting arena is a pond of
communal house which is dried up), dance of starting
battle, human chess playing.
Traditional
festivals in Thanh Hoa province:
Lam Kinh Festival
Time: The 22nd day of the eight lunar month, the death
anniversary of Le Loi.
Objects of worship: King Le Thai To (Le Loi).
Location: King Le Temple, Xuan Lam Commune, Tho Xuan
District, Thanh Hoa Province.
Activities: Ly lien singing and dancing and fair
exhibition.
The festival is organized in Lam Kinh, Tho Xuan
District, Thanh Hoa Province, where Lam Kinh Palace, the
mausoleums and tombs of the Le Kings are located here.
At the Muc Son Quay, in front of the tomb area in the
present-day Xuan Lam Commune, there is a small temple
dedicated to King Le Thai To (or Le Loi). In the past,
every three years, on the King’s death anniversary on
the 22nd day of the eighth lunar month, the Le Kings and
other mandarins from Dong Kinh (Thang Long - Ha Noi)
came here to carry out the ritual. Besides, the local
residents hold an annual festival to commemorate the
hero at this temple.
Besides the sacrifices- offering ceremony, incense
offering rite and other rituals like in many festivals
throughout the country, in Lam Kinh Festival, there were
ly lien (or ri ren) singing and dances and other
performances. Many couples of young boys and girls, hand
in hand, danced and sang and performed the game
“planting flowers” and “plaiting flowers.” Later, these
performances were relocated by the ca cong and hue tinh
singings and the performances of some stories of Binh
Ngo pha tran and Chu hau lai trieu. In the festival,
there was also the performance of bronze drums. The
festival was attended not only by the Kinh (Viet) people
but also other ethnic minorities in Thanh Hoa. On the
occasion, they brought and sold in the festival a lot of
their forest and native products (bee’s honey, aloe
wood, cinnamon, mushroom, cat’s ear, herbs, etc.) to
form a bustling market.
Tep Temple Festival
Time: The 21st day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Duong Tu Hamlet, Kien Tho Commune, Ngoc Lac
District, Thanh Hoa Province.
Objects of worship: Le Lai who sacrificed his life to
save Le Loi.
Activities: Sacrifices - offering ceremony, incense
offering in commemorating Le Lai.
Traditional
festivals in Hanoi Cty:
Bich Cau Dao Quan Festival
Time: 12th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: 14 Cat Linh Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: The tien ong Tran Tu Uyen.
Activities: Ca tru singing.
Ghenh Temple Festival
Time: The 20th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Ai Mo Hamlet, Bo De Ward, Long Bien District,
Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Three goddesses: Lieu Hanh (the
daughter of Ngoc Hoang), La Binh (the daughter of Tan
Vien - God of Mountain), Le Ngoc Han (King Quang Trung's
wife).
Activities: Van singing the praise of the Holy
Mother's merit
Phu Xa Village Festival
Time: 14th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Phu Thuong Ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Nguyen Kieu - Saint Tang.
Activities: Procession of Saint Tang.
Trai Racing Festival in Vinh Tuy
Time: 10th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Vinh Hung Ward, Hoang Mai District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Nha Cat Royal Highest and his wife
Lady Trinh Thien.
Activities: Boat racing.
Traditional
festivals in Ba Ria - Vung Tau:
Nghinh Ong Festival in Vung Tau
Time: From the 16th to the 18th day of the eighth lunar
month.
Location: Ca Ong Tomb, Hoang Hoa Tham Street, Vung Tau
City.
Objects of worship: Ca Ong.
Activities: Procession of Ca Ong on sea.
This is the chance for fishermen pray for safe, catching
many shrimps and fish. Time of the festival coincides
with the day of whale's death. The festival involves the
rites of Ong worshipping, procession of Ong on sea by a
big decorated boat with flag and flowers, bustling with
drums and gongs. After the rituals are games such as boi
singing, ba trao singing, martial performance
Traditional
festivals in Tien Giang province:
Tu Kiet Festival
Time: 15th to the 16th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Thanh Hoa Commune, Cai Lay District, Tien Giang
Province.
Objects of worship: Four men: Duoc, Long, Rong, Than who
become the heroes during the struggle against French
colonialism.
Activities: Incense offering ceremony.
Traditional
festivals in An Giang province:
Dolta Ceremony and Ox Racing Festival
Time: From the 29th day of the eighth lunar month to the
1st day of the ninth lunar month (or to the 2nd day of
the ninth lunar month in case of the eighth lunar month
without the 30th day).
Location: In pagodas, or at each household of the Khmer
people in Tri Ton or Tinh Bien District, An Giang
Province.
Objects of worship: In remembrance of ancestral merits
and wishing happiness and peace for the deceased’s
souls.
Activities: Ox racing according to traditional
ritual of the Khmer people
The ox racing is held in a large ground 60m wide and
170m long which is surrounded by high earthen rampart
where spectators can stand. The racing lane is 100m long
and 4m wide. Its two ends are marked with departure and
destination poles.
Each racing tournament involves 38 pairs of oxen
selected from competition in commune level. Most of the
oxen have strong posture: big head, straight back, solid
bone, long tail, small ear, round neck and gentle eye.
The nearer the competition draws, the more boisterous
the atmosphere becomes.
When the competition starts, each pair of oxen is yoked
to a harrow which is made of a plank of wood 30cm wide
and 90cm long with teeth underneath.
Each round of competition includes two pairs of oxen.
The controller stands on the harrow waving his whip. He
must stand firm otherwise he will lose due to violation
of regulations.
The competition consists of two rounds: hu and tha. It
can be considered that hu is the selection round, and
tha the real contest, which displays the strength of the
oxen and the skill of their controllers. In the hu
round, each pair of oxen has to go around the
competition ground two times for warming up and
performance. If any pair steps on the harrow of another
pair will lose. However, in the 120m-long tha round,
those stepping on the harrow of others will win. The
departure and destination points are marked with two
green and red poles 5m away from each other. The oxen in
the lane of green poles must reach the destination
marked by poles of the same color. In the race the
controllers hold a rattan whip or a round stick called
xa lu. After the signal of the referee, the controller
shoves the xa lu into the oxen’s buttock to make them
rush forward amidst the resounding cry of the
spectators.
The final round is always the most boisterous time. The
oxen seem like horses and their controllers, experienced
jockeys. The racing oxen become the pride of the whole
village. As such the controllers, the owners of the oxen
and the oxen themselves all try hard to show their skill
and strength. The prize-winning oxen are much loved for
their efforts to bring about the honor for their
owners.
The ox racing in An Giang has an age old tradition. The
men in the village take this community event as an
opportunity to show their courage and dexterity.
Traditional
festivals in Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City:
Ong Bon Pagoda Festival
Time: 15th day of the eighth lunar month.
Location: Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, District 5, Ho Chi
Minh City.
Objects of worship: Ong Bon, Quan Cong, Quan The Am, Ba
Chua Sanh.
Activities: Incense-offering ceremony.
Welcoming the Lord Whale Festival
Time: From the 15th to the 17th day of the eighth lunar
month.
Location: Mausoleum of the Water General, Hung Thanh
Hamlet, Can Thanh Commune, Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh
City.
Objects of worship: Ong Fish (The Whale).
Activities: The cult of the whale of the fishermen
in the coastal areas. Traditional ritual of procession
and sacrifice offering.
The festival of welcoming the Lord Whale or the cult of
the Lord Whale is popular in many coastal localities
from Ngang Pass to Ha Tien, Phu Quoc Island. This
constitutes one of the biggest festivals of the
fishermen. Different names are given to this festival:
the procession of the Whale’s skeleton, the ceremony of
praying for fish, the sacrifice offering ceremony
dedicated to the Whale, the festival of welcoming the
Whale and so on. However it is believed that the Whale
is holy sea creatures, the saviour of fishermen and
those living in the sea in general. This traditional
popular belief has been handed down from generation to
generation of fishermen in many localities.
The tomb of the Water General, who King Tu Duc conferred
the title of Nam Hai Tuong Quan (The General of the
Sea), is the venue for the annual ceremony of the
fishermen in Can Gio in remembrance of the Whale.
On the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, many cultural
activities take Location, stirring up the festive
atmosphere.
At about 10 a.m. in the morning of the 16th day of the
eighth lunar month, village dignitaries in traditional
outfits carry out the procession of the palanquin of Nam
Hai Tuong Quan to the sea. The fleet of dragon boats
sets out at the Can Gio Wharf in Vung Tau. The fishermen
and other people burn incense and present offerings in
welcoming the fleet along its way to the sea. The dragon
boat welcoming the Water General is accompanied by
hundreds of boats of various sizes and decoration. An
altar and a tray of offerings are put in the front of
the dragon boat. It takes about two hours for the fleet
to come back to the departure point. Then a procession
of the Water General to his tomb is held. A group of
lion and dragon dancers perform to welcome the
procession.
The procession follows solemn rites in accordance with
traditional rituals. Other cultural and artistic
activities also take Location inside and outside the Water
General’s tomb, even until late into the night.
From 8 a.m to 10 p.m on the 17th day of the eighth lunar
month, a ceremony of reading the royal order of
promotion of the Water General is held. This ceremony
also features religious singing. This ritual also puts
an end to the festival.
The festival in the tomb of the Water General is
inspired with the sincere wishes of the fishermen for
safety in service of their business and their gratitude
and honor of the Holy Whale
|
Source: Vietnam Nation Administration of Tourism |
|
