Giong Festival, Hanoi

The Giong Festival is held annually in Phu Dong village, Gia Lam district, Hanoi, on the 9th day of the 4th month of the lunar calendar. The date commemorates Saint Giong who defeated 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 festival is celebrated from the 6th to 12th of the fourth lunar month with a series of processions, rituals and performances, each taking place on a particular day. On the 6th, there is a ceremony of carrying water from the well at the Mother Temple to the Upper Temple. On the 7th, flags are carried to the Mother Temple. On the same day offerings of boiled rice and salted egg-plants are also carried to the Upper Temple, a practice that commemorates the agricultural meals of early times. Another vestige of ancient times occurs at night on this day when young men and women run after one another on the dyke of the Red River. Also on the 7th day, a water puppet performance is held in front of the Phu Dong Temple. On the 8th day, 28 women are selected to represent the generals of the An invaders. The main day of the festival is the 9th of the fourth lunar month. On this day flags are carried from the Mother Temple to the Upper Temple and sacrifices are made to the genie. The guilds perform ritual dances and songs and there is a tiger catching show. Fighting against the Yin invaders is re-enacted and there is a solemn march of the Van Lang army. Finally, the two battles against the invaders at Dong Dam and Soi Bia are symbolised by flag dances and victorious feasts. On the 10th day the "troops" are reviewed and the invader-generals, after "being defeated", give offerings to Giong. On the 11th, the ceremony of cleaning and washing weapons with holy water takes place. On the 12th, a procession goes to inspect the battlefield. On this day of the festival, tribute is given to the gods of heaven and earth. At the Giong Festival, people can make connections with their neighborhood, with relations between the individuals within a community, and with the past and present. This festival blends together the traditions of love for the motherland and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Truong Yen Festival

Time: From the 9th to the 11th day of the third lunar month, the main festival day is on the 10th day of the third lunar month.
Objects of worship: King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh.
Place: Truong Yen Commune, Hoa Lu District, NinhBinhProvince.
Characteristics: The procession of water, Chinese character forming.
The two most solemn rituals of the festival are the water procession and sacrifices - offering ceremony.
The sacrifices - offering ceremonies take place at midnight in Dinh and Le temples at the same time. The funeral oration is divided into nine parts praising the contributions of the two kings. It is expressed in a lively tru (a traditional type of singing) melody. As soon as it finishes, the boat carrying water arrives. Pilgrims take turns in presenting incense sticks to pay tribute to the kings and visit ancient sculptural and architectural items
Visitors can participate in many folk games, cultural, tourist and sports activities such as wrestling, boat racing, swings, chau van (a traditional type of music) singing, poem critique, poem writing, Chinese character forming, stick dancing, dragon dancing, unicorn dancing, or human chess.
The most special about the Truong Yen Festival is a game called " maneuver game with reed flag", which replays the childhood of Dinh Bo Linh as a buffalo boy in Truong Yen.

Coming to the festival is an opportunity for visitors to visit the ancient capital of the Dinh and Le courts, which mark the glorious period of unifying and establishing the country after suffering more than a thousand years under Northern Domination.
Source:(Vietnam National Administration Of Tourism)

Thay Pagoda Festival

Time:From the 5th to the 7th day of the third lunar month, main festival day on the 7th day of the third lunar month.
Place: Thay Pagoda (Thien Phuc tu), Sai Son Commune, Quoc Oai District, Ha Noi Capital. Objects of worship: Buddhist monk Tu Dao Hanh - founding father of the water puppetry in Vietnam.
Characteristics: The procession of the worshipping tablet, water puppetry and so on.
Tu Dao Hanh was a Buddhist monk in the Ly Dynasty. He had outstanding merits regarding the popularization of the religion, the treatment of diseases for people and the creation of many games original to Vietnam, including water puppetry. The Thay Pagoda Festival is held on the seventh day of the third lunar month in remembrance of his merits.

Several days prior to the festival, Buddhist followers and pilgrims far and near flock to the pagoda, further adding to the boisterous atmosphere of the festival. The Pagoda is cleaned and incenses, candles lit, bringing about a charming scene.
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 standing around solemnly hold their hands in front of their chests, whispering Buddhist sutras. When the ritual ends, the used water, the holy water the Buddha bestows, will be scattered all over the pagoda in a wish for bumper crops and prosperous life. The cloths are also torn into smaller pieces to divide among the people as they are thought to have the power of warding off the evils. The rite of cleaning objects of worship comes after this statue bathing ritual.
The procession of Tu Dao Hanh’s worshipping tablet takes place on the 7th day of the third lunar month, with the participation of four villages Thuy Khue, Da Phuc, Sai Khe and Khanh Tan. Covering under a yellow cloth, the colour of the outfits worn by those having supernatural powers, the tablet is carried by four representatives from the four villages mentioned above. Each village carries its own tutelary god’s tablet. 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.
At the pagoda the ritual of presenting offerings to Buddha is held in a solemn manner to the accompaniment of musical instruments. The offerings in various kinds and different colours are out into the altar, looking impressive in the smoke of incenses and candles. Wearing fine outfits, holding sticks to which are decorated with flowers, Buddhist monks chant Buddhist sutras while dancing to display the journey of mankind in striving for noble things.

Among fascinating games in Thay Pagoda Festival, water puppetry stands out. It is performed at the Thuy Dinh House in Long Tri pond in front of the pagoda. Tu Dao Hanh is said to be the founder of this artistic performance.

Going to Thay Pagoda Festival pilgrims have an opportunity to revere the relics imbued with the imprints of outstanding monks and men of the past.
Source:(Vietnam National Administration Of Tourism)

Quan Am Festival

Time: From the 18th to the 20th day of the second lunar month, the main festival day is on the 19th day of the second lunar month.
Place: Avalokitesvara Pagoda, Ngu Hanh Son District,Da NangCity.
Objects of worship: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.
Characteristics: The procession of the statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisttava, floating lamps on the river and other philanthropic activities.
Quan Am (Avalokitesvara) Festival on Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang is organized on the 19th day of the second lunar month. Like other traditional festivals, Quan Am (Avalokitesvara) Festival on Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang consists of two parts: the religious ceremony and the festival itself. The former takes place with the rituals of Buddhism.

The ceremony to worship spring with full rituals is usually held on the evening of the 18th of the second lunar month. The notables of Hoa Hai, Hoa Quy and Bac My An Wards perform the rites of worshipping, reading oration and praying for safe and sound to everybody.
The ceremony of beginning sutra chanting occurs on the early morning of the 19th of the second lunar month. This ceremony is to pray for peaceful country and prosperous people. It is held in the sanctuary of Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara) Pagoda and conducted by the monks. This ritual shows the solemnity the belief of Buddhism.
The ceremony of giving alms to the wandering souls is held on the afternoon of the last day of the festival. The ceremony is dedicated to patron saint, god of earth and spirits of the death. The monks pray the Buddha for peace and happiness to the living and for freedom from suffering to the souls of the death. Normally, the Buddhist bereaved gives the list of the deceased to the pagoda in advance. The master of ceremonies must be a superior bonze.
The preaching sessions about culture, arts, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and the association between the Buddhist culture and traditional culture in the history of the nation is also part of the festival.

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue procession is held on the morning of the 19th day. Four people carry a palanquin that contains a stone statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisttava standing on the lotus-shaped throne. She has a look of refined beauty with a gentle smile like the image of a mother. The palanquin goes first and is accompanied by Buddhist followers.
Source:(Vietnam National Administration Of Tourism)

Phu Day Festival

Time: From the 1st to the 10th day of the third lunar month, the main festival day is on the 3rd day of the third lunar month.
Place: Phu Day, Kim Thai Commune, Vu Ban District, NamDinhProvince.
Objects of worship: Princess Lieu Hanh - the Holy Mother.
Characteristics: The procession of the Holy Mother, Chinese character forming game, hau dong (seance - typical ritual of the tradition of worshipping Holy Mothers of the Viet).
PhuDayTemple is located in Kim Thai Commune, Vu Ban District, Nam Dinh Province. From NamDinhCity, one can reach Phu Day by car for 15 km. One can also reach it by train. The station is two kms from the temple.

The temple is dedicated to Holy Mother Lieu Hanh who is one of four immortal gods in the Vietnamese pantheon. The legend of Holy Mother Lieu Hanh is sung from one generation to another throughout the country, from the north to the south, from the delta regions to the mountainous areas of the country. It was believed that Phu Day was in the center of the homeland.
In the minds of Vietnamese people, the Hung kings are the ancestors, Holy Mother Lieu Hanh is the mother and General Tran Hung Dao is the father. The Vietnamese community is considered a family that has the same ancestors, father and mother.
Phu Day Festival is held every year from the 1st to the 10th day of the third lunar month, but the main day of the festival occurs on the 3rd. On the 6th day, people organize a procession that escorts “the Mother” from TienHuongTemple to Goi Pagoda and a festival in which people stand in the shape of Chinese Characters on the 7th day. Those are the most typical activities of the festival.

Marching in the van of the procession is a group of old women holding Buddhist pennons. They are followed by four teams of dragons, young men and women with eight weapons in their hands, a group of monks telling their beads.
Following the monks are seven palanquins. The Mother - the first’s palanquin is carried by eight girls in red costumes, Mother the second’s palanquin carried by eight girls in green costumes and Mother the third’s by eight girls in white costumes. A group of people carrying the belongings of the Holy Mother on their heads goes after the palanquins. The last are representatives and pilgrims. A Chinese character forming game that held on the 7th day of the third month is a unique performance of the festival. Participants have to practice so that they can stand in ranks in such a way as to forge Chinese characters “Mau nghi thien ha” (A woman whose virtue makes her the mother of the nation), “Thien ha thai binh” (Peaceful World), when they hear the signal from the flag commander.
A unique cultural and religious activity at the Phu Day Festival is hat van and hau bong. This is a combination of music, singing, dancing and worshipping that is a typical ritual of Holy Mother Cult. During the festival, various games and entertainment activities are held such as tuong (classical opera), cheo (popular opera), xam singing performances, wrestling, tug of war, cockfighting and chess playing.

Phu Day Festival is also a market fair where people sell local products.
Source:(Vietnam National Administration Of Tourism)