In Vietnamese folk culture, there is a saying: ‘Thang gieng la thang an choi (The first lunar month is the month to play and enjoy the festive time). In Lunar January everywhere around the country is buzzing with traditional cultural festivities. Typical of a wet rice civilization, Vietnamese people believe that when spring comes, the fun of harvest time also comes. People spend time with family, worship their ancestors and the gods of heaven and earth and go on a pilgrimage to the pagodas to pray for happiness, prosperity and luck for the whole year. That’s why traditional festivals bloom during this most beautiful season of the year. Here are some festivals happening during the first lunar month.
People in traditional costumes prepare for a buffalo to do the first furrow at Tich Dien Festival in Ha Nam Province on Wednesday - Photo: Hoang Ha
Huong Pagoda Festival
The Huong Pagoda Festival which opened on Feb. 8 (the sixth day of the first lunar month) in Hanoi’s outskirt district of My Duc, so far has attracted over 15,000 Buddhist pilgrims and tourists. The festival’s organizing committee and tourists planted five sakura trees donated by Japanese monk Yoshimizu Dai Chi at Tam Bao garden in Thien Tru Pagoda.
The Huong Pagoda Festival is the biggest and longest annual festival in Vietnam, lasting three spring months. It welcomes more than 1 million pilgrims and tourists each year. Nearly 200 high-quality boats have been added to the fleet of more than 4,000 boats to serve tourists during this year’s festival. While drifting on the river, tourists can enjoy traditional music shows.
A poetry night named “Tam Xuan” (the soul of spring) will be organized next Wednesday (Feb. 16 or the 14th day of the first lunar month), a Buddhist Culture Week and a Buddhist antique exhibition will start on Feb. 19. The highlight of the culture week is a ceremony to float flower garlands and colored lanterns on the Yen Stream featuring 2011 lotuses. The Huong Pagoda Festival runs until the end of March.
Dong Da, Soc Temple and Co Loa festivals in Hanoi
The culturally rich capital boasts over 100 festivals. The Dong Da Festival on the fifth day of the first lunar month (February 7) commemorates the battle of Emperor Quang Trung against invaders of the Qing dynasty. The highlight of the festival is a Fire Dragon dance. A group of young men wearing close-fitted white clothes, with red stripes and belts, and blue puttees, raise the dragon to their heads and perform the dance of the “hovering dragon.” Additionally, there are traditional martial arts, unicorn dancing, dragon dancing, wrestling, human chess, cock fighting and religious rites.
The Soc Temple Festival on the seventh day of the first lunar month (February 9) commemorates Thanh Giong, one of the four immortal gods of Vietnamese folk culture. People from eight communes in six districts around the Soc Temple gather to celebrate the offering ceremony to pay tribute to Thanh Giong. After being acknowledged as the intangible cultural world heritage in 2011 by UNESCO, the festival has gained much attention from local people and both domestic and foreign tourists. Catherine Muller, head of the representative office of UNESCO in Vietnam, told the Vietnam News Agency at the opening day that she appreciates the community spirit of the festival and this ancient festival has been well restored and promoted.
The Co Loa Festival from the sixth to the sixteenth day of the first lunar month (from February 8 to 18) at Co Loa Commune in Dong Anh District commemorates King An Duong Vuong who came to the throne in 257 BC. Local and neighboring people join in an offering ceremony in eight communes and enjoy various entertainment activities like traditional wrestling, volleyball, human chess, love duets, water puppetry, cock fighting, swinging and rice cooking among others.
Tich Dien Festival in Ha Nam
Locals and tourists on Wednesday (the seventh day of the first lunar month) flocked to Doi Son Commune, Duy Tien District in Ha Nam Province to celebrate the Tich Dien Festival (field ploughing festival) to commemorate the first ploughing festival since the year of 987 under the reign of king Le Dai Hanh. During the festival people participated in both cultural and sports activities like volleyball contest, swinging game, foot bridge challenge and tug of war among others. The highlight of the event was 15 big buffalos ploughing a field.
Lim and Ba Chua Kho festivals in Bac Ninh
The province has the Lim Festival, a famous folk music festival, from the 11th to the 13th day of the first lunar month. People come to enjoy the festival and see the performances of “lien anh” and “lien chi” (male and female farmers) who sing quan ho (love duets) and other types of songs in the pagodas, on the hills, and in the boats. Moreover there’s a weaving competition for girls who weave and sing quan ho songs at the same time. The Lim Festival also includes all the ritual stages, from the procession to the worshipping ceremony. The Lim Festival is a special cultural activity in the North. The festival celebrates the “Quan Ho” folk song which was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2009.
Ba Chua Kho Festival which will be held on the 14th day of the first lunar month (Feb. 16) at Co Me Village, Vu Ninh Commune, Bac Ninh City, Bac Ninh Province is to commemorate Ba Chua Kho or The Queen of Stock and to pray for property and good luck.
Gau Tao and Long Tong festivals in Lao Cai
This highland province has the Gau Tao Festival of the H’Mong ethnic people from the third to the fifth day of the first lunar month, the Long Tong Festival of the Tay people in the rice fields near their village on the fifth or 15th day of the first lunar month, and the dancing festival of the Red Dao ethnic people on the first and second days of the new year.
Moreover, there are other festivals like Gia La Festival in Duong Noi Commune, Hoai Duc District, Hanoi from the sixth day to the 14th day of the first lunar month (Feb. 8 to 16); the Sai Temple Festival in Thuy Lam Commune, Dong Anh District, Hanoi on the 12th day of the first lunar month (Feb. 14); the Va Temple Festival in Trung Hung Commune, Son Tay Townlet, Hanoi on the 15th day of the first lunar month (Feb. 17) and the Tam Thanh Pagoda Festival in Lang Son City, Lang Son Province on the 15th day of the first lunar month (Feb. 17).
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