Around Angkor Thom (Part 2)

Banteay Srei HINDU TEMPLE

Deemed by many to be the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art, Banteay Srei – a Hindu temple devoted to Shiva – is cut from stone of a pinkish hue and includes many of the finest stone carving anywhere in the world . Begun in AD 967, it is one of the few temples around Angkor to be commissioned by a Brahman, not by a king, perhaps a tutor to Jayavarman V.
Banteay Srei, which is 21km northeast of Bayon and about 32km from Siem Reap, can be visited along with Kbal Spean and the Cambodia Landmine Museum.

Kbal Spean RELIGIOUS, SPIRITUAL

Kbal Spean, which is a spectacularly carved riverbed, set deep in the jungle about 50km northeast of Angkor. More commonly referred to in English as the ‘River of a Thousand Lingas’, it’s a 2km uphill walk to the carvings. From Kbal Spean, you can work your way back down to the waterfall to cool off. Carry plenty of water.
At the nearby Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity, trafficked animals are nursed back to health. Free tours generally start at 1pm from Monday to Saturday.

Phnom Kulen SACRED MOUNTAIN

The most sacred mountain in Cambodia, Phnom Kulen (487m) is where Jayavarman II proclaimed himself a devaraja (god-king) in AD 802, giving birth to Cambodia. A popular place of pilgrimage during weekends and festivals, the views it affords are absolutely incredible .
Phnom Kulen is 50km from Siem Reap and 15km from Banteay Srei. The road toll is US$20 per foreign visitor, none of which goes towards preserving the site.

Beng Mealea BUDDHIST TEMPLE

Beng Mealea (admission US$5), was built by Suryavarman II to the same floor plan as Angkor Wat, is the Titanic of temples and utterly subsumed by jungle. Nature has well and truly run riot here. Jumbled stones lie like forgotten jewels swathed in lichen, and the galleries are strangled by ivy and vines.
Beng Mealea is about 65km northeast of Siem Reap on a sealed toll road.

Koh Ker HINDU TEMPLE

(admission US$10) Abandoned to the forests of the north, Koh Ker, capital of the Angkorian empire from AD 928 to AD 944, is within day-trip distance of Siem Reap. Most of the travellers start at Prasat Krahom, where nice stone carvings grace lintels, doorposts and slender window columns. The principal monument is Mayan-looking Prasat Thom, a 55m-wide, 40m-high sandstone-faced pyramid whose seven tiers offer spectacular views across the forest. However, access to the top of Prasat Thom is currently prohibited for safety reasons.

Koh Ker is 127km northeast of Siem Reap (car hire is around US$90, 2½ hours).

HEARTBEAT OF CAMBODIA

The largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, Tonlé Sap, an incredible natural phenomenon that provides fish and irrigation water for half of Cambodia’s population.
The lake is linked to the Mekong at Phnom Penh by a 100km-long channel, the Tonlé Sap River. From mid-May to early October (the wet season), rains raise the level of the Mekong, backing up the Tonlé Sap River and causing it to flow northwest into the Tonlé Sap Lake. During this period, the lake swells from 2500 sq km to 13,000 sq km or more, its maximum depth increasing from about 2.2m to more than 10m. Around the start of October, while the water level of the Mekong begins to fall, the Tonlé Sap River reverses its flow, draining the waters of the lake back into the Mekong.
This incredible process makes the Tonlé Sap one of the world’s most various sources of freshwater fish and an ideal habitat for water birds.

Xem chi tiết ...

Doan Ngo Festival

"Doan Ngo Festival”, also called “Tết giết sâu bọ” (translated as Festival for “Killing the persons’ inner insects”), is the second most significant festival (to the Lunar New Year Tet Holiday) of Vietnam.

What does these names mean?   Literally, Tet refers to festival, Doan means the start, Ngo is the seventh animal of the Chinese zodiac- the horse. Doan Ngo festival is also known as Tết sâu bọ (sâu bọ = worms, pests) or Tết tháng 5, to be celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.

The name “Tet sau bo” derives from the fact that farmers, on this day, get rid of all pests to start growing their crops for the new season. Therefore, creatures and people must become stronger in both their health and their souls to overcome this. On this occasion, the whole family have to get up early and eat fermented sticky and fruits. The worshipping is held at noon, hour of Ngo. The tradition of eating dumplings, especially lye water dumplings, extends from the belief that the dumplings will cleanse one’s body of any unwanted “parasites”.

Two irreplaceable dishes

The two traditional types of food to be eaten on this holiday are banh u and com ruou. Banh u is pyramidal sticky rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves. They are often stuffed with beans and banana leaves’ essence, creating its dominant flavor.

Com ruou, which literally translates as “rice wine,” are little balls of fermented rice bathed in wine. Com ruou is associated with the myth telling that a long time ago, there were two orphan brothers living together in a small village. They were popular among the locals for their intelligence and kindness. Also, in that village, there were two snakes Thanh Xa and Bach Xa, which after long lives, turned into spirits.  Falling in love with the brothers, they transformed themselves into beautiful ladies to lure the men. Their desire soon became true, Thanh Xa got married the older brother and Bach Xa the younger.

They lived happily together until the men grew unhealthy each passing day, scared of daylight and lived in festering darkness. The locals suspected the presence of a bad spirit, and one day, luckily, a Taoist hermit passed by the village. After being told the affliction, he conducted some spirit type tests and found out that the men’s house had a case of the evils. Brewing a wine potion, he told the locals to feed it to the men. The brothers must eat the potion’s solids and liquids in the early morning of the next fifth day of the fifth lunar calendar.  As soon as the men tucked into their special breakfast, their wives were turned into their real appearance of snakes, before disappearing in a puff of smoke, freeing the brothers.  Since that day, people have eaten “ruou nep” on Killing the Insect Day, in the hope of driving away bad spirits.

The process of making Com ruou is not quite complicated but time-consuming.  In order to have good com ruou in Doan Ngo Festival, the famers must harvest the reaped rice from a paddy, dried and pounded carefully to keep the most nutritious part of the rice. At first, the rice is steamed twice for about 30 minutes and left for a while to get cool. After that, It is mixed with yeast, before being left for two or three days to ferment, depending on the weather.  Com ruou is eaten early on this day to fight the “worms” in one’s stomach.

Just try it, you will see that Com ruou brings you a strong and quite delicious taste. In the Vietnamese traditional concept, com ruou can kill any parasites in the body. Vietnamese people, from adults to kids, mostly like eating com ruou, yet, adults are more inclined to gain its curing effects with a grain of salt.

Up to now, besides the Lunar New Year Holiday, Doan Ngo Festival plays a significant role in every Vietnamese life for practical and holy meanings. Enjoying the atmosphere of Doan Ngo Festival, you will get to know more about its value and spirits.

Xem chi tiết ...

Full moon (Mid-Autumn) Festival

Tet Trung Thu, as it is known in Vietnam, or the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival as we refer to in foreign countries, is a wonderful, ancient festival that revolves around children.

Vietnam’s Mid-Autumn Moon Festival (or Full moon Festival) takes place on the full moon night (15th of the Lunar August), the most charming and picturesque night of the year. The festival involves the customs of moon contemplating, procession of star & moon - shaped lanterns, lion dance, as well as holding parties with moon cakes and fruits. Do you know why we have this special festival?

The origin…
The Festival dates back as far as 15-20,000 years ago in Southeast Asia, and is traditionally held on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar Month. Looking at the moon on this day, you will see that its orbit is at the lowest angle to the horizon, making the moon appear brighter and larger than at any other time of the year. Thus, accordingly, there came a festival with a series of entertainment activities in honor of the beautiful full moon.

There are several explanations for that phenomenon as well as the tradition of celebrating the Mid-autumn Festival. Some said that it began since the reign of King Duong Minh Hoang in China, at the beginning of the 8th century. According to ancient manuscripts, the Emperor often wished to visit the Lantern Procession


Palace on the Moon. Then, with the help of a magician, he was taken to the Moon and welcomed by a lot of beautiful fairies. He expressed his admiration for their dance, which was called Nghe Thuong Vu Y, and tried to memorize. Later, he accidentally found that there were similarities between Nghe Thuong Vu Y and Ba La Mon styles. After combining the two songs and dances styles into one, he gradually introduced it to everyone in their far ruling countries. The tradition of watching the moon, the dance and songs later became a traditional event in the Mid-Autumn celebration.

Celebration on animated  streets

The festival is very much like a combination of Halloween and Thanksgiving. On the night of Lunar August 15th, the streets are full of people buying festival stuff and wandering. Besides the assorted paper lanterns, cakes, candies, the toy animals made of rice dough, the dragon heads and faces of the Earth God made of paper are displayed everywhere in the markets. Children parade on the streets, singing and carrying colorful lanterns of different sizes and shapes, such as fishes, stars, butterflies, which spin when candles are inserted, representing the earth circling the sun. In well-off families, the mid-autumn banquet is to show up their nubile girls’ cooking abilities.


This festival is mostly geared to children, thus, to help children get ready for the Festival, parents can help them make their lanterns and costumes for the lantern procession and discuss the history and culture of Vietnam. Showing our love for our children and teaching of Vietnam's love for their children is a wonderful reason to celebrate!


One important event before and during Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival is lion dancing. Both non-professional and professional children groups perform dances on the streets or go to houses. If accepted by the host, "the lion" will come in and start dancing as a wish of luck.

Beside the lion dance, it is customary to offer Banh Trung Thu, boxes of moon cakes, which are traditionally very rich in taste. The cakes are filled with lotus seeds, ground beans and orange peels and have a bright yoke in the center to represent the moon.  “Banh deo” is the white cake, made of sticky rice and filled with sweet mixture of lotus seeds, pumpkin seeds or green bean. “Banh nuong” is the brown cake and has salty taste with a mixture of egg, pork fat, fried onion, peanut and lemon leaves inside. Both can be in round or square shapes.

Where in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City could we join this event?Moon cakes


In Ha Noi, you can come to Ho Tay Water Park, Van Ho Exhibition Centre and Giang Vo Exhibition Centre to have musical performances for children in these two days.

In Ho Chi Minh city. Between 10th and 15th of August, Ho Chi Minh City government holds "Full Moon Festival" parties for children. Are you interested in the disadvantage children? On this occasion, the city arranges for some 5.000 children to participate in lantern processions along the main streets.

Today, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, together with the encouraging affection for children, promotes education, poetry, dance, arts and crafts. Most overseas Vietnamese family, though far away from their home country, would like to bring their kids back to the home country right in Full moon festival time, one amongst the most important ones in Vietnam. Otherwise, most of them hold a distant festival on their own in the country where they live to remind the kids of their origin and national culture.

Not only locals, but also foreign tourists are warmly welcomed you to join in this special festival. Surely, you will have much fun when taking part in the crowds, seeing children carrying the lanterns, eating cakes and receiving gifts of celebration during the Mid-Autumn Festival!

Xem chi tiết ...

A meaningful pilgrimage to the Lim Festival

“My friend, please stay here, do not return home. When doing so, you make me weep silently. The two flaps of my dress will be soaked with tears...” are the so beautiful words of a popular Quan Ho song named “Goodbye” (or “Gia ban” in Vietnamese), that makes our supposed upcoming pilgrimage to the Lim Festival so meaningful.

Should you have interest in Vietnamese culture and festivals, you would rather follow us in this following supposed pilgrimage to the Lim Festival. It is the done thing in Lim Town, Tien Du District, Bac Ninh Province where thousands of visitors go on a pilgrimage to this festival to be held at the beginning of Spring. Annually taking place from 13th to 15th of the first lunar month, the Lim Festival is among the most impressive festivals, ceremonies and singing in Former Kinh Bac, which now account for a majority of villages in Bac Ninh Province.

The distinguished features

The most typical Lim Festival feature is Quan Ho singing, a special folk song, which includes betel offering, hailing ferry and others. Stretching back over 500 years and recently recognised by UNESCO as part of humanity’s intangible heritage, Quan ho is a living historical record of the daily life of Vietnamese people. The beautiful lyrics are of profound meanings, and incline leading up the pagoda on Lim hill, where Lim Pagoda is located. Lim Pagoda - the place worshipping Mr. Hieu Trung Hau, who invented Quan Ho, is very large and airy with a lot of eucalyptus and couch trees. Like other religious festivals, the Lim Festival goes through all the ritual stages, from the procession to the worshipping ceremony, and includes other activities. The atmosphere is filled with the stream of music and poems, which stimulate people’s feelings. Colorful clothes, conical hats, brassieres and handkerchiefs show the vitality of the spring, human and their surroundings.

Which activities take place in the Lim Festival?

Different from song exchanges in other places, the Quan Ho folk song festival is very well-organised. Visitors from everywhere come to Hat doi' in Quan ho

enjoy the festival and see the performances of "lien anh" (male singers) and "lien chi" (female singers). These singers are normal farmers of the village and others in daily life, but surprisingly turn out to be the nation's most skilled Quan Ho artists on the special occasion of Lim festival. Their singing performances are consisted of different types of songs, and have ranging stages: in the pagodas’ yard, the communal house’ yard, on the hills, even on boats gently rowed along the river, or elsewhere.

The singers are mostly categorized into two groups, which are called brothers and sisters groups. They dress in their best and distinctive style: men wearing long dress and holding umbrellas, and women, elegant four-flapped dresses with colourful belts, which is their discreet manner, and traditional large flat hats. They have a unique way of approaching one another in the form of songs.

At the beginning of the performance, crowds gather around the singers, and are eager to follow the deft catchy melodies, and savor the humorous, yet often heartfelt lyrics. When each group performs, the audiences listen attentively, while indulging in the traditional chewy festival food of An Trau- areca, lime, rose-petal and betel once used to colour teeth and wear away daily troubles. Quan ho is typified by alternate verses sung by different singers, either in pairs or in groups. The two most popular types of Quan ho are hat doi’ (call-and-response singing) and hat doi (duet singing) groups, which originate hundreds of years ago, with some of the earliest songs dating back as far as the fifteenth century. According to some scholars, they even began under the Ly dynasty (1009-1225), when men and women from neighboured villages in Bac Ninh province began to sing alternate verses to each other.

In terms of content, the Quan Ho song exchange is multifaceted, involving analogies, questions and replies and quizzes on a myriad of subjects. One of the characteristics of Quan ho that remains throughout the time is the proper verbal and poetic introduction to every tune. Quan ho singers are not only appreciated for their singing ability, but also for their skill in leaving an impression of their gracefulness and literary adeptness on the audience. As a rule, all messages must be in songs with occasionally some explanations to further elucidate the ideas. During lunch, the host singers must provide company to their partners, offer them food and, again, songs. In the afternoon, the visiting singers are requested to continue the song exchange up to midnight when there would be recess and a tea party. Thereafter, the song exchange goes on until dawn, when guests and hosts and hostesses, again in the form of songs, bid farewell and express keen hope to meet again some time in the future.

In addition to Quan Ho folk song performances, village festivals also involves many other traditional games and entertainments, contests, fairs and cultural activities, such as human chess, water puppetry, lion dances, swinging, wrestling, cock-fighting and more. It is also a traditional opportunity for young men and women to seek life partners. Young men and women who want to find their partners often come up hill to sing. There men hold umbrellas while women are wearing flat palm hats, without concern about the sun or rain. Sometimes they can even sing all night to show their love, ebullient passion and grace. Besides, visitors can come to the Lim Festival to enjoy the weaving competition of the Noi Due girls. They weave and sing Quan Ho songs at the same time.

Being a special cultural activity in the North, with the Quan Ho folk song performances and variety of activities, the Lim Festival really impress visitors. The Festival has become a part of the national culture and a typical folk song festival that is well-loved not only in Bac Ninh Province, but in the Red River Delta region as well.

Xem chi tiết ...

Saint Chu Dong Tu Festival

Being held annually from the 10th to the 12th day of the second lunar month, the Saint Chu Dong Tu is a popular religious festival celebrating Godfather Chu Dong Tu, who discovered culture, conquered marsh, and developed agriculture and trade in the Vietnamese society. The Saint Festival. The festival is a joyful occasion whose events include a procession, religious ceremonies, feasting, music and dance and children's games.

Main features

As far as you may know, the Saint Chu Dong Tu isone of the four immortal gods in the Vietnamese pantheon.

Celebrations take place at two beautiful temples of Da Hoa and Da Trach, in Khoai Chau District, Hung Yen Province, about 20 kilometers from Hanoi. Starting from Ha Noi, visitors can travel downstream on the Red River by boat or canoe, or go by motorbike along the dyke of the Red River. During the festival, pilgrims in colourful dress converge on the two temples, Da Trach and Da Hoa. As the festival is celebrated, pilgrims wearing gaudy dress, come in the two temples in Da Trach and Da Hoa.

After the opening ceremony, there is a procession to remind people of the legend, life and work of Saint Chu Dong Tu and his two wives. Heading the procession which consists of beautiful girls in colourful dress and  musical bands is the two luxurious dragons controlled by ten people in the rhythm of the drum. Moreover, the procession includes musical bands, God palanquin and eight weapons for ornaments andbig pots. They sit o­n tens of boats, rowing to the middle of the river, scooping water into the pots and coming back to bathe the statue. After thurifying ceremony, you will be treated with various forms of entertainment like wrestling, fighting with sticks, human chess, traditional and religious dances and Cheo.

Legend associated with Da Trach Temple

The legend has it that Da Trach Temple was built on the former high platform of Chu Dong Tu and Princess Tien Dung's castle and citadel, after they returned to the Heaven. Once a year, villagers in traditional ao dais and sarongs make their way to the temple of Chu Dong Tu to make offerings of incense, flowers and candles. They say prayers for the soul of the famous fisherman and for their friends and family who risk their lives by fishing out at sea. It is an interesting local spectacle and if you're in the area, definitely worth a visit.

The festival is opened by a procession to carry water from Red river to the temple. The majestic procession is led by golden-dragon dancers, flag carriers, drummers, an octet of instrument players, eight carriers of offering weapons, sinh tien dancers, long dinh palanquin, water big-bellied jar palanquin, conical hat palanquin, walking palanquin and three palanquins carrying statues of Chu Dong Tu and Princess Tien Dung. When the procession arrives in Red river, at the same time, a dragon boat from the Tu Nhien (Nature) alluvial plain comes to join in the procession. On the river, flags fluttering in the wind, golden dragon effigies waving and the bustling sound of drums make the procession splendid and ebullient. In this festival, you will have a chance to know more about Vietnamese traditional art, such as trong quan singing, quan ho singing, ca tru, etc. and traditional games (earthenware pot beating, kieu bridge passing, catching ducks in the pond, etc.) are held during the festival.

At Da Hoa Temple

In the early morning of the 10th, the inhabitants of nine communes hold a long procession along the dyke of the Red River to Da Hoa Temple. Marching in the van of the procession is Hoang Trach Commune. Following are Dong Que, Bang Nha, Phu Thi, Phuc Trach, Thiet Tru, Nhan Thap, Da Hoa communes, and finally Me So Commune. When the procession reaches the temple, palanquins and offerings are placed at a stipulated place. Then, the members of the procession and pilgrims begin the opening ceremony at the courtyard. As the opening ceremony and incense presenting ceremony end, people participate in traditional games that take place during day and night.

It must be said that if you are in Vitenam, you will be strongly recommended not to miss out watching this festival. The host of processions, dance, music, food fun and social gathering will mesmerize you during the festival. The package of dragon procession, martial arts competitions, lion dance, and Cheo performances (a kind of Vietnamese popular opera) make this festival grand, colourful and popular among the tourists.

Xem chi tiết ...

Hung King Temple Festival

Every year, a large number of visitors from all over the country participate a national festival - Hung King Temple Festival - an incense offering ceremony in honor of Hung Kings, who were instrumental in the founding of the nation.

Legend associated with the Hung Kings

It is said that thousands of years ago, Lac Long Quan (King Dragon of the Land of Lac) had superhuman strength and liked to stay near water. He succeeded to the throne of his father, and governed the Lac-Viet tribe. De Lai, king of a northern tribe, with his daughter Au Co made a trip to visit the south.

Admiring Lac Long Quan's talent, De Lai married Au Co to Lac Long Quan. Au Co became pregnant and gave birth to a membranous sac. The sac kept getting larger and larger, and burst on the seventh day. Surprisingly, there were one hundred eggs in the sac, which hatched into one hundred beautiful babies. The children of Lac Long Quan and Au Co were the ancestors of Vietnam, and so the Vietnamese are known as "Dragon and Fairy descendants." The eldest son of Lac Long Quan and Au Co, who was with this mother, established himself at Phong Chau, now the southern part of Phu Tho Province, and made himself king. That was King Hung I whose realm was made up by 50 tribes. The 18 Hung kings then ruled the country from 2879 to 258BC.
According to historical records, the regime of the Hung Kings was an impressive, brilliant and outstanding start for establishing Viet Nam as a sovereign nation. The 18 generations of the Hung Kings saw the birth and development of a nation and are credited with forging national characteristics such as the sense of community, mutual affection, patriotism and unwillingness to yield to oppression. From this original settlement, the Hong (Red) River civilization and the pre-Dong Son cultures grew. From generations to generations, the Vietnamese people hold a festival nationwide on the 10th day of the third lunar month to commemorate the anniversary of their ancestor's death, founder of the Vietnamese nation - the first Hung King.

Hung King Anniversary

The Hung King Temple Festival is annually held from 8th to the 11th days of the third lunar month. The main festival day is on the 10th day of the third lunar March, on which the National Assembly has approved Vietnamese working people to annually have one more national holiday to mark the anniversary of the Hung King’s death. Every year, on this traditional occasion, Vietnamese people worldwide join their brothers and sisters in spirit to observe Vietnam National Day in commemoration of their ancestors. The main ceremony takes place at the Hung Temple on Nghia Linh Mountain in Phong Chau District, Phu Tho Province, some 85km northwest of Hanoi. The Hung King Temple Festival is one of the most important and sacred festivals of the Vietnamese people, deeply imbedded in the minds of every Vietnamese citizen, regardless of where they originated from.

Let’s contemplate this historical vestige!

The Hung Temple is an ancient and sacred architectural ensemble on the top of the 175 metre-high Nghia Linh mountain. The festival offers an opportunity for Vietnamese to visit their land of origin. A day before the festival, ancient and modern flags are to be hung along the road leading from Viet Tri to Hung mountain. A large ballon will also publicise the festival to surrounding areas. On the eve of the festival, 100 flying lights are released into the night sky. The main worship service is held in earnest the following morning, 10th day, beginning with a flower ceremony. In Den Thuong (Upper Temple) where the Hung Kings used to worship deities with full rituals, the ceremony consists of a lavish five-fruit feast. Banh chung (square cake) and banh giay (circle cake) 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. The procession marches are followed by a Xoan song performance (a classical type of song) in the Den Thuong, a "Ca Tru" (a kind of classical opera) in Den Ha (Lower Temple), and other activities like cross-bow shooting, rice cooking, swinging contests, cock fighting, and dragon dancing.

On the day of the Hung King Temple Festival, the Vietnamese always jubilantly take part in the festival with religious belief deeply imbedded in their minds, that is their love and pride of their ancestral land. The Festival not only attracts visitors from all over the country thanks to its special traditional cultural activities, but it is also a sacred pilgrimage back to the origins of the Vietnamese nation.

Xem chi tiết ...

Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival

Thousands of people annually gathered at the stadium of Do Son Town, Hai Phong City to witness the attractive performances of buffalos within the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival, an outstanding and unique festival one in Vietnam which is associated with different legends.

One of the legends has it that long time ago, one Creator caused a severe drought. All living things looked toward the sea, praying for Creator’s favour. In the most miserable moment, suddenly, people saw two buffalos fighting fiercely on the wave crests and the rains started to pour down, revive all creature. The local people organise the fighting performance annually to show, not only their great gratitude for the Sir Buffalo but also their desire for the immortal vitality and strength of coastal people of Haiphong. Being held officially and annually on the ninth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar since the 18th century, the festival is a chance for local people to pray for prosperity and happiness.

The preparation for this buffalo fighting festival is an elaborate process, from the 5th and the 6th lunar month itself. The competing buffalos must be carefully selected and methodically trained months in advance of the festival. These buffalos, that had experienced the qualifying round, 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 selected buffalos, after all the elimination rounds, are fed in separate cages to keep them from contact with common buffalos.

Buffalo fighting performance

The beginning of the worshipping ceremony lasts until lunch time. Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival takes off with a colorful procession with an octet and a big procession chair, carried by six strong young men. The chosen buffalos, covered with red cloth and red band around their horns, are taken to the fighting ring by 24 young men, from each side dressed in red. The young men dance and wave flags as the two teams of troops take their positions in the fighting ground. The dance was mingled with the ebullient sound of drums and gongs, bringing a hectic atmosphere to the festival. After this event, a pair of buffalos is led to opposite sides of the festival grounds and is made to stand near two flags called Ngu Phung. As soon as the right signal is released, the two buffalos are led into the fighting circle. At the next signal, the two leaders release the ropes that are attached to the noses of the buffalos. With well-practiced movements, the buffalos rush into each other, using their fighting skills to decide the right to enter the next match while the spectators shout and urge the fighting along. Then, the winning buffalo goes to the next round till the final winner emerges. The matches varied in terms of time, depending on the strength and stamina of the buffalos. At the completion of the fight, the spectacle of "receiving the buffalos" is very interesting as the leaders must then catch the winning buffalo to grant it its reward.

The Buffalo Fighting in Do Son is traditional festival of Vietnam attached to a Water God worshipping ceremony and the "Hien Sinh" custom. The ceremony is held in every village and chaired by its patriarch to pray for the victory at the buffalo fight, typically express the martial spirit of the local people in Do Son, Hai Phong. In recent years, this traditional festival attracted not only local residents but also thousands of domestic and international tourists.

Xem chi tiết ...

Buddhist legend in Keo Pagoda

Attending a three-day Festival in Keo Pagoda, you can experience lots of traditional rituals, religious ceremonies and cultural performances which reflect the lifestyle of inhabitants along the banks of the North Delta of the Red River.

The legend...

Come back to the history, legend said that a humble fisherman in the 11th century achieved enlightenment as a Buddhist monk and could thereby fly through the air, walk on water and tame snakes and tigers. However, the holy man Duong Khong Lo (1016-1094) secured his name firmly in his country’s history books when he used his magic powers to cure King Le Thanh Tong (1066-1127) of a terrible disease. Over 900 years later, residents of Vu Nhat Commune, Vu Thu District, Thai Binh Province still honour the Buddhist hero with a festival as mystical as the legend it recognises.

The features
The flocks of visitors who come to witness the Autumn Festival, the province’s biggest cultural event of the year, have no trouble finding Keo Pagoda, located on the site where the Buddhist dignitary had pagoda built in the 17th Century.

Keo pagoda is architecturally unique and stands at a scenic spot on the Red River Delta. The Pagoda is home to a wealth of ancient relics, from intricately engraved wooden dragons to a collection of over 100 statues. The pagoda also has valuable antiques including a pair of candlesticks from the Mac Dynasty, pottery ware and altars from the Le Dynasty, imperial boats and more, which are all as well preserved now as they were during the time of the Le Trung Hung Dynasty in 16th century.

The yearly festival is celebrated from 13th to 15th of the ninth lunar month, 100 days after the death of the Buddhist dignitary Duong Khong Lo. The festival features religious and traditional rituals and customs held in celebration of the Buddhist monk who rendered great merits to the people and the country. The festival also hosts different traditional cultural activities reflecting the life style, which is imbued with traits of the Red River Delta’s agricultural culture.

Keo pagoda's festival
Keo pagoda's festival

The celebration

The pagoda’s own mythical appeal plays a significant role in drawing so many visitors to Vu Nhat Village each year on the 13th, 14th and 15th days of the ninth lunar month. Normally, people visit the commune to offer prayer at the Keo Pagoda in honor of the Buddhist monk. Similar to other Vietnam festivals and events, Keo Pagoda Festival commences with a procession of palanquin to remind people of the anniversary of Khong Lo’s death, followed by a boat race and a literary recital competition during the day. When night falls, it's time for music and a trumpet and drum competition, light from the main shrine illuminates preparations for the next day’s procession, prayers are offered until midnight.

On the 14th day of the ninth lunar month, in celebration of the birth anniversary of monk Khong Lo, in the morning, the procession ceremony comes after the incense-offering ritual. A carriage pulled by two pairs of white and pink wooden horses head the procession, accompanied by 8 flag bearers and 42 men carrying bat but luu bo, a classical Vietnamese weapon. Four people wearing black gauze outfits and white trousers, who carry a dragon in commemoration of Khong Lo’s journey by boat to the capital of the kingdom to treat King Ly Nhan Tong. Four people in the same outfit carrying a small gilded boat put in a stand, depicting the period of monk Khong Lo’s life when he was a fisherman. In the afternoon, at Gia Roi shrine, the mua ech vo (frog-catching dance) ritual pays respect to the gods, while incense is offered to Buddha.

The festival continues into the next day with further entertainment and traditional games such as duck catching, rice cooking competition and firecracker hurling competition. However, the most interesting performance that attracts a large number of tourist is the  boat rowing dance on land which is performed by 12 people in fine costumes, standing in two parallel lines like the way they sit in the boat. As one performer beats a small drum and another holds a wooden fish, the 12 performers "row" while flexing their legs and calling out rhythmically. This performance also puts an end to the three-day Keo Pagoda Festival.

It is believed that together with this meaningful festival, Keo Pagoda will remain an interesting tourist attraction and a pride for Vietnamese architects, Vu Nhat villagers and all of Thai Binh Province – as well as our whole country!

Xem chi tiết ...

Co Loa Festival

Annually held after Tet Holiday, Co Loa Festival pays homage to King An Duong Vuong who built the Au Lac Kingdom and the Co Loa Citadel to fight the battle against enemies in III B.C.

Taking place from the 6th to the 16th day of the Lunar New Year at An Duong Vuong temple in Dong Anh District, on the outskirts of Hanoi, Co Loa Festival based on the legend of An Duong King of Au Lac and his magic crossbow. According to the legend, Genius Kim Quy, a Golden Tortoise, gave Thuc Phan (An Duong Vuong) a magic crossbow which could kill tens of thousands of enemy soldiers at a shot. However, the King’s daughter My Chau told the secret of her father's magic crossbow to her husband Trong Thuy, the son of rebel Chinese general Trieu Da, and thereby unwittingly enabled Trieu Da to conquer Co Loa in 208 B.C. Learned of the reason for his defeat, King An Duong is said to have killed his daughter and then committed suicide. Nowadays, in Co Loa citadel, there exists many vestiges still reminding you of the episodes of the legend.

Visiting Co Loa on the 6th of the 1st lunar month, you will have the opportunity to take part in Co Loa Festival organized by the 12 hamlets of the village. Thuc Phan An Duong Vuong was remembered for building Co Loa citadel and for ruling Au Lac for 50 years, 3rd century B.C. Besides the ceremonial rites in honour of King An Duong Vuong at the Upper Temple, there is an imposing and solemn procession of 12 palankeens going round the Trong Thuy Well to the Village gate. Moreover, in the festival, people also put a lot of effort into celebrating traditional activities.

On the afternoon of the 5th day of the first lunar month, all of the eight communes (including Co Loa Commune and the establishing relations between seven communes) hold the incense offering ceremony at the communal house. At Thuong Temple, village officials and mandarins hold the similar ceremony and revise the King’s contributions and achievements. The official festival day, which is on the 6th of the first lunar month, commences with processions of notables from surrounding villages to the King An Duong Temple where a miniature royal court containing an incense burner, a stone tablet and a funeral oration is placed in front of the two altars. The literature procession is preceded by a flag that symbolizes the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth), a musical company, and a sacrifice. This procession featuring two sedan chairs proceeds through the 12 hamlets of  Co Loa Commune. One carries a small statue of the King, the other a beheaded statue of his daughter which symbolizes for her punishment. The procession then continues to the Trong Thuy Well and back to the various hamlets, accompanied by firecrackers.

Preceded by the literature procession is a sacrificial ceremony that lasts until 12 p.m. The ceremony takes place in the King's honour, accompanied by traditional music. Next to the ceremony is the procession of 12 villages to take the god from the temple to the communal house so that he can watch the festivities. This is the biggest procession with the participation of all the palanquins. When reaching the main entrance, the palanquins return to their villages. Co Loa’s procession and palanquin do the same rituals once more at the communal house. The festival continues until the 16th day of the first lunar month, with evening fireworks displays, traditional games such as cock fighting, human chess, tug of war, card playing, wrestling, swing, rope climbing, martial arts, flag dancing and archery and performances of ca tru, cheo and tuong.

On the final day of the festival, a grand farewell ceremony will be held at the temple. After the rituals which are the same as in the main festival day, the cult table of god will be returned to the sanctuary. Local people enjoy the god’s favour and expect a year of prosperity and protection from the god. The meaningful festival is always closed with a thanksgiving ceremony.

Xem chi tiết ...

Huong Pagoda Festival, lost in a world of fairies

“This immense area with wonderful features 
  Makes one wonder whether it is fairyland 
  Huong Son itself is fairyland 
  Which is seen in this earthly world"

The beautiful verse describes scenic spot of Huong Pagoda, designated by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site, which makes one can’t help having the feeling that is one were lost in a world of fairies. Huong Son attracts visitors not only with its wonderful landscape, but also with its sense of philosophy embodied inside its splendid caves, of which  Huong Tich and Tuyet Son are the most impressive. Visitors are bewitched by the beauty of these cases which look half real and half unreal. That explains the reason why the cold weather cannot keep thousands of pilgrims and tourists away from the Huong Pagoda Festival, the nation’s longest and most elaborate annual festival.

Oficially occuring from the 15th day to the 20th day of the second lunar month, Huong Pagoda Festival mainly consists of sightseeing trips to pagodas, temples and caves as well as visiting ceremonies to ask favours from Lord Buddha. Situated approximately 60 kilometers southwest from Ha Noi, Huong Son boasts quite a few pagodas built in the Posterior Le Dynasty. Annually, a vast number of pilgrims have been flocking to the northern province of Ha Noi’s My Duc District for the three-month Huong Pagoda Festival, enjoying the beauty of the Huong Son limestone mountains at a time when apricot trees are in bloom and pay tribute to Buddha, specifically to Avalokitasvara, one of Buddha's disciples.
Legend has it that the festival is held to worship a princess named Dieu Thien who incarnated Avalokitasvara and attained enlightenment there. As the princess was born on the 19th day of the second lunar month, that date is now observed by all Vietnamese Buddhists as a saint day. The shrine in which she practised her religion was discovered in the 15th century by three monks. The pilgrimage to Huong Son dwindled to a trickle during the war years and the temples and shrines were left vacant.. In 1770, Lord Trinh Sam wrote five Chinese characters to describe Huong Tich Cavern: Nam Thien De Nhat Dong (the most beautiful cave in Vietnam). The Huong Pagoda Festival started during the Le-Trinh Dynasty. In 1958, after the restoration of peace in North Vietnam, the Government and President Ho Chi Minh personally gave instructions for the repair of the pagodas and temples and the restoration of the festival. Annually, visitors to the festival to enjoy the beauty of the Huong Son limestone mountains at a time when apricot trees are in bloom and pay tribute to Buddha, specifically to Avalokitasvara, one of Buddha's disciples.

According to the legend, a pilgrimage to Huong Pagoda in the spring will bring health, prosperity, good luck and happiness. And whether you believe in the story or not, there's no disputing that a trip like this offers a perfect chance to get closer to both nature and Vietnamese tradition.
A meaningful pilgrimage

The festival is a traditional Vietnamese Buddhist celebration, held simultaneously in three locations: Huong Tich, Tuyet Son, and Long Van. The festival is most crowded from the 15th - 20th day of the 2nd month of the lunar calendar as this period marks the the main festival. However, since the first day of the lunar New Year, thousands of tourists and pilgrims have flocked to the sacred land to tour and pray for a prosperous and happy year. Spring is the idea time for bothVietnamese and foreigners come to Huong Son. Heading there, you have chances to live in a boisterous atmosphere of a spring festival amidst beautiful landscape. They seem to be free from all tiredness and sorrow and come to pay respect to the compassionate Buddha.

Unlike many other festivals, the Huong Pagoda Festival does not centre around traditional games, but rather romantic trips to caves, pagodas and temples and participation in ceremonies to beseech favours from Lord Buddha. The Venerable Thich Minh Hien rang the bell to officially open the festival at the Huong Pagoda, on the sixth day of the first lunar month. The opening ceremony began at the Thien Tru Pagoda with pilgrims and tourists invited to take part in the incense offering ceremony. In order to warning up the festival’s lively ambience in the chilly weather, the traditional raditional songs and dances took place before and after the ceremony. Visitors attending Huong pagoda festival usually make some wishes and when they are worshipping Buddha’s in the pagoda, they pray for their wishes to come true. The visitors bring offerings with them from home, including boiled chickens, boiled pigs' heads and steamed sticky rice. After prayers, each person will take a small portion of the offering (called loc) which is then carried home for their family. Loc is a sacred and precious thing as it is believed to bring good luck to those who eat it. In addition, cultural activities and sporting contests are also held on the occasion of Huong Pagoda Festival: boat racing, climbing, folk song singing, etc. These festive activities take place throughout the festival.

A pilgrimage to the Huong Pagoda Festival cannot only be for religious reasons, but to see the numerous natural shapes that are typical of the landscape and the buildings that are valuable artifacts of the nation. When you make a pilgrimage to Huong Pagoda you are in the middle of nature at its best, with a gorgeous river, caves, and mountains.Therefore, people of different ages all so interested in the Huong Pagoda Festival...

Xem chi tiết ...

Let’s enjoy Thay Pagoda Festival!

Tourists are always greeted to take part in Thay Pagoda Festival, which is yearly held in a nature-gifted picturesque landscape.

Overview

Well situated in the shadows of Sai Son Mountain, Thay Pagoda lies in a tranquil and beautiful village, which is only around 40km west of Hanoi. The festival, officially held annually on the seventh day of the third lunar month and lasting for at least a week, pays homage to folk hero Tu Dao Hanh. The festival begins with Buddha worshipping and platform running, a religious performance accompanied by traditional music in a solemn atmosphere. Numerous traditional games are played during the festival, the best-known of all the activities is the traditional water puppet show given on Long Tri pond, in front of the Thuy Dinh Temple. After ceremonies for Buddha, you can take a hiking trip through the picturesque countryside which characterizes the region. Moreover, this is the time for you to enjoy hearing many famous legends that enrich the traditional value of this beautiful region.

The legend behind…

The festival takes place in the elaborate pagoda said to be built on the ashes of a Vietnamese folk hero and is especially famous for the performances of traditional water puppetry. It is said that Tu Dao Hanh was a Buddhist monk during the rule of the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225 A.D). Leading a religious life and dying in this very pagoda, he had outstanding merits to the the religion popularization, illness treatment, and water puppetry creation. According to the legend, what makes him mysteriously sainted is that  at the end of his life, the Buddhist monk sat in meditation for several months without food and drink and died in that posture. Thereafter, the people put his withered corpse in the building of the Genius for the purpose of worship.

Let’s enjoy the festival!

Several days prior to the festival, Buddhist followers and pilgrims here and there flock to the pagoda, further adding to the boisterous atmosphere of the festival. The Pagoda is cleaned with scented incenses, glistening lighted candles, bringing about a charming scene. Many cultural games and art performances are held during the festival, including Tu Dao Hanh's statue bathing, incense sticks presenting, tablets escorting procession, Cheo (popular opera) performance, chess games, water puppet shows, recital of the feats of Tu Dao Hanh and so on. In particular, you have a great chance to enjoy a water puppetry show portraying the tales of Thach Sanh and Tam Cam, cultural activities and features of rural life such as farm work, duck tending and wrestling.

The Thay Pagoda festival is actually a joint festival of four villages (Thuy Khe, Da Phuc, Khanh Tan and Sai Khe). Although this area has numerous pagodas, the festival is held mainly in Thay Pagoda, which comprises three buildings: ante-chamber, Buddha's Building and Building of the Genius. The statue bathing ritual takes place before the opening of the festival. Buddhist monks and the people participate in the ritual. Pieces of red cloth are used to clean the statues. Those who stand around solemnly hold their hands in front of their chests, whispering Buddhist sutras. When the ritual ends, the holy water the Buddha bestows will be scattered all over the pagoda to wish for bumper crops and prosperous life. The cloths are also torn into smaller pieces to grant attendants as they are thought to have the power of warding off the evils.

The two most noteworthy events and distinctive features of the festival are the procession of the tablets and the water puppet show. The procession of Tu Dao Hanh’s worshipping tablet takes place on the 7th day of the third lunar month. The local population believes that Tu Dao Hanh first learned supernatural powers and became a genius, and later on, embraced Buddhism. Therefore, at the start of the procession, his tablets must be wrapped in a piece of yellow cloth (the colour of the robes worn by priests endowed with supernatural powers) and, on the return trip the same tablets should be wrapped in the brown frock of a Buddhist monk. During the procession, Buddhist nuns take a walk  recounting the feats of Tu Dao Hanh, first in learning supernatural magic and then in leading a religious Buddhist life. Noteworthy is that in the procession the tablet and white horse of Da Phuc must go ahead those of the Thuy Khue. Normally the procession comes to the pagoda at twilight. This timing is considered as propitious as it is the time when night takes over from day, when darkness and night come into contact with each other.

Among fascinating games in Thay Pagoda Festival, water puppetry seems to be the most outstanding. The game is the second noteworthy item, a traditional cultural activity related to wet paddy cultivation in the Red River Delta. It is performed in front of the pagoda, on a pond called Long Tri. Tu Dao Hanh is said to be the founder of this artistic performance. This item comprises two basic components: puppets and water. The puppets are products of traditional popular wood sculptures and lacquer painting. The place for the puppet performance is a lake or a part of the river. With its fluid nature and reflections, water can mirror efficiently the numerous changes in the colour of the sky, the mountains, trees and leaves and give a mythical air to the performance. The artists must usually stay inside the water and direct the movement of the puppet through sticks and strings connected. The water puppet shows reflect productive activities - paddy cultivation, duck breeding, fishing, cloth weaving, etc. The shows also draw from folk or classical theatrical plays. Apart from the water puppetry, you'll catch firework spectaculars (mostly bangers), folk singers crooning into microphones and sporting events such as mountain-climbing and rowing.

The Thay Pagoda festival is attractive to many visitors because of the myth surrounding Monk Tu Dao Hanh and his feats, the beautiful scenery and the water puppet shows. They fill the spectators with surprise and pleasure, who also pride in the rich imagination and dexterity of the performers who create in this art. Going to Thay Pagoda Festival is really worth, pilgrims will have an opportunity to revere the relics imbued with the imprints of outstanding monks and men of the past.

Xem chi tiết ...