Spring festival - Hung temple festival

Hung temple festivalPhoto: Trần Tuấn

It's national festival to be organized every year at 3 pagodas: lower - central and upper ones on mount Nghĩa Lĩnh, Hy Cương commune, Phong Châu district, Phú Thọ province.

The morning of the 10th of lunar March, it's the eventful festival. After 3 rounds bronze drums and gongs, the ceremony opens, then processions from villages proceed to the centre. Processions look very colourful with flags and canopies, musical bands and the pilgrims. At the front-gate, minority girls perform local dance. From door-gate of well-pagoda to lake Đa Vao there are games and sports: dwelling, tug-of-war, arrow-shooting and sedan-chair procession… In the lake, there are boat-races by villagers. Pair of dragon-boats beautifully decorated speed ahead in the cheers of spectators on either banks. In the grounds, there are ball-throw, swinging or singing contests with local songs (xoan, ghẹo).

Hùng temple is a relic -complex that go deep into the hearts of Vietnamese in a view to worship the national founders and the festival is not only for the people at home but for Vietnamese overseas.