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Travel & Tourism . Tourist Guide to the Country

Vietnam Festivals and Events



Elephant Race Festival elephant race festival
Don Village, Dac Lak, 3rd March, 2000
The race track is on even ground where the forest clearing only has a few big trees. The width of the track is large enough for 10 elephants to stand in a line at the same time and the length of the track runs 1-2 km.
With the signal of the horn (a wind instrument), the mahouts command their elephants to go to the starting line. When the command to start the race is released, all of the elephants rush ahead like springs, excited by the sound of the drums, gongs, and cheering from the viewers. At the end of the race, the winning elephants lift their trunks beyond their heads to wave to the viewers. They walk deliberately flapping their ears gently, gazing through half-closed eyes, and receive sugarcane from their viewers.
The elephant race is the biggest festival in the middle highland. It bears the martial spirit of the M'nong ethnic group, who are very famous for their bravery and skill in hunting wild elephants.


Hung Temple Festival
Nghia Linh Mountain, 9th-11th March, 2000
Every year, this national festival is held to worship the Hung Kings, who were instrumental in the founding of the nation.
The festival lasts for 3 days from the 9th to the 11th of the 3rd month of the lunar calendar. The worship service is held on the 10th day and commences with a flower ceremony with the participation of state representatives. In Thuong Temple where the Hung Kings used to worship deities with full rituals, the ceremony consists of a lavish five-fruit feast. Cakes and glutinous rice dumpling are also served to remind people of the Lang Lieu Legend (the 18th Hung King who invented these cakes), and the merit of the Hung Kings who taught people to grow rice.
Next to the stage procession for deities, there are several marches in the procession such as the elephant march followed by the procession chair. These procession marches are conducted in Tien Cuong, Hy Cuong, Phuong Giao, and Co Tich Villages. The procession marches are followed by a Xoan song performance (a classical type of song) in the Thuong Temple, a "Ca Tru" (a kind of classical opera) in Ha temple, and other games.
The Hung King's Temple Festival not only attracts visitors from everywhere and allows visitors to participate in the special traditional cultural activities, but it is also a sacred pilgrimage back to the origins of the Vietnamese culture. People usually show their love and pride of their homeland and ancestral land. This religious belief is deeply imbedded in the minds of every Vietnamese citizen, regardless of where they originate from.


Chu Dong Tu Festival chu dong tu
Chu Dong Tu Temple, Hanoi, 10th-12th March, 2000
Saint Chu Dong Tu was one of the "four immortal heroes" at the centre of Vietnamese society. A cultural hero and the founder of agriculture as he had conquered the marsh, and developed agriculture and trade.
After the opening ceremony, to remind people of the legend, life, and work of Saint Chu Dong Tu and his two wives, there is a procession.
Travelling ahead of the procession are two splendid golden dragons, controlled by 10 men, dancing gently with the rhythms of the drums. The procession includes a team of musicians, the Saint's chair, and couple of jars. The procession moves with about ten sailing boats to the center of the river to take water in the jars and then moves back to the temple for a statue washing ceremony.
After the main ceremony, there are different types of activities conducted such as wrestling, fighting with sticks, Chinese chess games, lion dances,and other events.



Le Mat Village Festival le mat village festival
Viet Hung Commune, Hanoi, 23rd March, 2000
In the early morning of the 23rd day of the third month, representatives of the 13 camps at the west of the Ancient Capital of Thang Long carry 13 trays of food over their heads from capital to the Le Mat Village.
At the beginning of the festival, water and carp processions are staged and brought to the Thanh Communal House. This ritual reminds the present generation of the heroic man's accomplishments of exploiting and bringing about agriculture to the village. A snake act is then performed in the yard of the communal house. The snake (made of bamboo taped with cloth) symbolizes the water-monster species that has been bitten by a youth's power and will. The music of this act is an octet and the sound of the drummer's double rhythm is haunting. The Le Mat Village Festival provides the chance for children in the village, and the others who have reclaimed this ancient wasteland in the city, to meet and retell the history of the establishment of the village. The challenge and difficulty that was encountered in the establishment of the village is expressed in the sincere homage of the ancestors of the village.
In addition to the ceremony, the Le Mat people have a special talent for catching snakes. While attending the Le Mat Village Festival, guests can be offered a cup of snake wine with 3 or 5 snakes inside.


Giong Festival giong festivals
Phu Dong Village, Hanoi, 9th April, 2000
The date commemorates the Saint Giong who defeated the An invaders. In order to show their gratitude to the hero of Giong Village, who sacrificed his life to fight the invaders, people have proclaimed him Saint Giong. Preparation for the festival occurs from the 1st day of the 3rd month to the 5th day of the 4th month of the lunar calendar. The procession marches from the Mother Temple to Thuong Temple with the performance of a religious service. After reaching the temple, a feast to the troops occurs. When night falls, a Cheo play is performed (a classical opera of Vietnamese). The festivities ends on the 10th day of the 4th month, as the troops withdraw and a thanksgiving procession occurs. At the Giong Festival, people can make connections with their the neighborhood, with relations between the individual within a community, and with the past and present. This festival blends together the traditions of love for the motherland and the preservations of cultural heritage.


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Acknowledgements: ASIATRAVELMART.COM








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