Vietnam Travel Blog

Ke Sui Festival (Phu Thi Festival)

Time: 3rd day of the third lunar month.
Place: Phu Thi Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Queen mother Y Lan (in the temple), Tay Vi Royal Highest (in the communal house).
Characteristics: Bong Song custom (in order to clear Y Lan’s eunuch Nguyen Bong of a false charge): dance while drinking alcohol and shouting “Bong Sòng”.

Kim Giang Village Festival

Time: the 8th to the 12th day of the second lunar month and the 1st day of the third lunar month.
Place: Kim Giang Village, Dai Kim Ward, Hoang Mai District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Saint Cao Son, Mao Giap Hoa, Holy Mother Le Ngai My Chau.
Characteristics: Cock fighting, duck catching. 

Kim Lien Communal House Festival

Time: 16th day of the third lunar month.
Place: Phuong Lien Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Cao Son (Nguyen Hien) the god defends the South and Qui Minh (Nguyen Sung) the younger brother of Cao Son, general of Tan Vien. Tan Vien is the person who fought Thuy Tinh, defended King Hung.
Characteristics: Procession, seven-layer feast (includes steamed glutinous rice, chicken, cakes, fruits), bird fighting, rice cooking contest, duck catching contest.

Kim Ma Ha Communal House Festival

Time: 10th day of the first lunar month.
Place: 6 Kim Ma Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship:Bo Cai Royal Highest Phung Hung, Hoang Phuc Trung and Royal Highest Linh Lang.
Characteristics:Bridge climbing, basket boat racing at the lake in the village.

Lang Pagoda Festival

Time: From the 5th to the 7th day of the third lunar month. The main festival day is on the 7th day of the third lunar month.
Place: Lang Thuong Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Zen Buddhist Tu Dao Hanh.
Characteristics: Saint’s palanquin procession along the To Lich River bank.

Le Mat Village Festival

Time: The 23rd day of the third lunar month.
Place: Le Mat Village, Viet Hung Ward, Long Bien District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: The village’s tutelary god of Hoang Family.
Characteristics: Snake dance.

Le Xa Village Festival

Time: 15th day of the third lunar month.
Place: Le Xa Hamlet, Mai Lam Commune, Dong Anh District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Dao Ky and Phuong Dung (generals of Hai Ba Trung).
Characteristics: Procession, sacrifices, plaiting cord contest, ca trù singing, quan ho singing, duck catching, and cock fighting.

Lo Khe Festival

Time: 5th to the 7th day of the fourth lunar month and the 13th to the 15th day of the eleventh lunar month.
Place: Lien Ha Commune, Dong Anh District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Mr. Dinh Du and his wife, Mrs. Man Hoa Duong (taught a dào singing).
Characteristics: Ancestor of ca trù ’s death anniversary with sacrifice-offering ceremony and singing, dancing.

Lu Temple Festival

Time: The 19th day of the eighth lunar month.
Place: Hoang Van Thu Ward, Hoàng Mai District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Tran Hung Dao, Pham Nguu Tat – Pham To Thu, Mau Thoai.
Characteristics: Procession of votive paper, boat race, dragon dance, lion dance, cock fighting, martial art.

Mach Lung Village Festival

Time: the 10th day of the second lunar month.
Place: Mach Lung Hamlet, Dai Mach Commune, Dong Anh District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Three Minh Mo Royal Highests and their mother Xoa Nuo.
Characteristics: Water procession, palanquin procession, skiff rowing race.

Mai Dong Wrestling Festival

Time: 4th day of the first lunar month.
Place: Mai Dong Ward, Hoang Mai District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Tam Trinh – General of Hai Ba Trung.
Characteristics: Wrestling contest.

Manh Tan Village Festival

Time: 10th day of the eleventh lunar month.
Place: Manh Tan Hamlet, Thuy Lam Commune, Dong Anh District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Duong Giang, Ly trieu Quoc Mau (mother of the country of Ly Dynasty).
Characteristics: Palanquin procession, sacrifices-offering ceremony, traditional wrestling.    (Detail)

Nanh Pagoda Festival (Hundred-room Pagoda)

Time: The 4th day of the second lunar month.
Place: Ninh Hiep Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Mother Buddha Man Nuong, Phap Van (Ba Nanh), Sakyamuni Buddha, and Saint Tran Hung Dao.
Characteristics: Custom of worshipping, lift phan tree.

Nghe Village Festival

Time: 4th day of the first lunar month.
Place: Nghe Village, Nghia Do Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: General Tran Cong Tich, Queen Hong Nuong, and Que Nuong – a lady of high degree.
Characteristics: Rice cooking contest, before cooking the contestants must make fire by pulling giang thread through the hole of a bamboo chunk, one keeps and another tugs. Three stakes of bamboo are fix in the ground that made a cooking fire for the contestants.

Nghi Tam Village Festival

Time: the 10th day of the second lunar month.
Place: Nghi Tam Communal House, Quang An Ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Vo Trung, Vo Quoc, Bao Trung, Princess Quynh Hoa, Saint Minh Khiet, Tay Ho water-nymph.
Characteristics: Skiff rowing race, contests of flower, bonsai tree.

Ngoc Tri Village Festival

Time: The 3rd day of the third lunar month and the 9th day of the ninth lunar month.
Place: Thach Ban Ward, Long Bien District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Saint Huyen Thien Tran Vu.
Characteristics: The festival is held every 5-year. Tug-of-war game.

Ngu Xa Festival

Time: The 17th day of the first lunar month.
Place: Nam Trang Village, Truc Bach Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: A Di Da Buddha, Ancestor Saint Nguyen Chi Thanh.
Characteristics: Exhibit productions of bronze casting, cock fighting.

Nhat Tan Communal House Festival

Time: 2nd day of the second lunar month, the 10th day of the second lunar month (also the main festival day) and the 8th day of the eight lunar month.
Place: Nhat Tan Ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Uy Do Linh Lang (Prince of Tran Dynasty).
Characteristics: Dragon dancing.

Nhat Tao Communal House Festival

Time: the 11th day of the second lunar month.
Place: Dong Ngac Commune, Tu Liem District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Tran Nguyen Trac.
Characteristics: Contests of giay cake, che kho (soft green-lentil cake).

Ninh Hiep Festival

Time: the 18th day of the first lunar month.
Place: Nanh Village, Ninh Hiep Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Madam Ly Nhu Thai Lao, the founder of Vietnamese traditional medicine (based on medicinal herbs).
Characteristics: Incense offering ceremony, people come to the festival to worship and ask for traditional recipe

Phu Dien Communal House Festival

Time: 7th to the 9th day of the third lunar month.
Place: Phu Dien Commune, Tu Liem District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Le Dai Hanh, Tran Thong.
Characteristics: Rod fighting, rope climbing contest, water puppetry on the river, dragon dancing, wrestling, ca tru singing, senh tien dancing, blind-man’s-buff, skiff rowing race.

Phu Do Village Festival

Time: 6th to the 8th day of the first lunar month. The main festival day is on the 7th day.
Place: Phu Do Hamlet, Me Tri Commune, Tu Liem District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Ly Thien Bao (blood elder brother of Ly Nam De), Dinh Du and Man Hoa Duong (the founders of ca trù singing), Lady An (queen of Ly Anh Tong King) and lady Phuong (imperial concubine of Ly Anh Tong King), Ho Nguyen Tho (founder of the making vermicelli (bún)).
Characteristics: The village’s tutelary god worshipping, offerring food tray of bún, contest of making bún,cheo (popular opera) singing.

Phu Duc Festival

Time: 6th to the 8th day of the third lunar month.
Place: Tay Mo Commune, Tu Liem District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Princess Lieu Hanh.
Characteristics: Incense offering, praying and worshipping, van singing, hau dong religious belief.

Phu My and Kieu Mai villages Festival

Time: 7th day of the first lunar month.
Place: Phu My Village(My Dinh Commune), Kieu Mai Village(Phu Dien Commune), Tu Liem District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Ly Nam De, Ly Phat Tu, A La Nang De, Bach Hac tam giang.
Characteristics: xoi tree (steamed glutinous rice) contest (press xoi in a shape tree).

Phu Xa Village Festival

Time: 14th day of the eighth lunar month.
Place: Phu Thuong Ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Nguyen Kieu – Saint Tang.
Characteristics: Procession of Saint Tang.

Pigeons releasing Festival of Duc Tu Village

Time: Spring ends and beginning of summer.
Place: Duc Tu Commune, Dong Anh District, Hanoi.
Characteristics: Pigeons releasing contest.

Quan Thanh Festival

Time: The 3rd day of the third lunar month.
Place: Quan Thanh Temple, Quan Thanh Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Great Saint Huyen Thien Tran Vu – the god defends the North.
Characteristics: Dream praying and praying for good luck.

Quang Ba Communal House Festival

Time: the 10th day to the 12th day of the second lunar month.
Place: Quang Ba Hamlet, Quang An Ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Bo Cai Royal Highest Phung Hung and 6 generals.
Characteristics: Human chess, cock fighting.

Quay Village Festival

Time: 12th day of the first lunar month.
Place: Lien Ha Commune, Dong Anh District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Thuy Hai, Dang Giang, Khong Chung, Tam Giang and Dong Hai.
Characteristics: giao duyen singing, cock fighting, human chess playing, blind-man’s-buff, pond swimming for catching ducks.

Riverbank ancient quarter of Hanoi

Location: It includes Hang Chieu, Hang Buom, Hang Khoai, Nguyen Sieu streets and others which connect the Quan Chuong City Gate with Dong Xuan Street.
Characteristic: In the past this quarter was called Thanh Ha, a village of Hau Tuc canton in Tho Xuong District, a big northern district where the Tay Ho land with “the Tran Vu bell sound and Tho Xuong cock crow” is located.