One of Quang Ninh’s attractions is the traditional festivals that happened in some months, in different seasons of the year with unique features. Joining the festivals, visitors will surely not only have fun, but also are able to visit, go sightseeing, and explore many historical relics and cultures presenting the land and people of Quang Ninh ...
Bustling Spring Festivals
In Quang Ninh.there are more than 60 festivals most of which occur in spring. In particular, visitors can not miss visiting Quang Yen Town, which is considered to be the home to historical relics and festivals. Hung Linh Pagoda Festival is the first one opening in the fourth day of the Lunar Year, then the Dong Village Temple, La pagoda, Tien Cong temple, and Dong Pagoda, and the Coc temple festivals, etc. Visiting this town on lunar new year, visitors will feel joyful festival atmosphere throughout the month. People are very eager and excited about attending the vibrant festivals, creating a bustling atmosphere, however you still find simple and unique characteristics of the village festivals.
Tien Cong temple festival is one of the largest traditional festivals of Quang Yen Town aiming at memorizing the great contribution of the Creators in developing Ha Nam island into a rich locality nowadays. Every year, the village starts the festivities on the seventh day of the first lunar month. On this occasion, every family makes its own procession to celebrate longevity of the oldest men of the village (all from 80, 90, 100 years old). All processions join together near the temple make a jubilant and animated atmosphere but still sacred.
Bach Dang Festival is another well-known festival celebrating glorious victories against invaders on Bach Dang River and remembers the merits of national heroes including Ngo Quyen (938), Le Hoan (981) and Tran Hung Dao (1288).
Bach Dang Festival annually attracts thousands of visitors. At the festival, tourists will feel a bustling and holy ambiance of the ancient battle on the river and tradition against invaders of Vietnamese people. Visitors may be also enthralled with the vibrant and animated atmosphere, especially when joining the Tran Hung Dao Godden Statue Procession ritual from Yen Giang temple and vice versa.
Associated with Tran Dynasty royalty in Quang Ninh, Cua Ong Temple Festival (in Cam Pha city) is annually celebrated on February 3rd lunar calendar. The festival is iconic fighting spirit against invaders to defend the country, by the honoring Tran Quoc Tang, who's transformed into a god, the god of the temple. In the even-numbered years, the festival is usually organized with many meaningful activities, especially the Duc Ong ceremonial procession, and festive activities including human chess (cờ người), swimming, boat racing, covering eyes with cloth to bang cooking pots, cockfighting, cooking rice, preparing feast ...
Yen Tu Spring Festival lasts for 3 months. Yen Tu ancient was listed as the most famous mountain, the capital of the Vietnamese Buddhism. It is where Tran Nhan Tong King founded the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen of Vietnam. Hence, Yen Tu Spring Festival has always attracted millions of domestic and foreign visitors for pilgrimage and Buddhism ceremonies. At Yen Tu, visitors are able to not only admire, the temples and towers stretching from Trinh pagoda to the top of the mountain, but also enjoy the romantic scenery, the grandeur of the pipe and bamboo forests.
A distinct cultural feature
Besides these above-mentioned festivals, the festival of ethnic groups is also a special cultural feature fascinating visitors. They are: Luc Na village festival (in Binh Lieu district), Da village festival (in Ba Che district) and the Bang Ca Village festival (in Hoanh Bo district). In particular, the Bang Ca Village festival is significantly to pray for favourable weather, prosperity, good health, solidarity and happiness in the new year. A distinctive feature of this festival is that, all families contribute food items such as chicken, pork, rice, wine or money to the festival. Or at Luc Na Festival, people usually sing folk songs with traditional instruments; the festival is often combines the cultural and sports festival of ethnic groups in Ba Che. In addition, visitors also have chances to join many culture and sports activities that are closed to the special daily life in the mountainous region, such as distinct cultural rituals, cakes making competitions, or playing folk games like hitting people’s back , crossbow, pushing sticks, tug of war...
Not only in springs, a large amount of festivals are also held in other seasons, including Sinh temple festival in (Dong Trieu district) opened at the end of the autumn to memorize the great contributions by the Tran dynasty emperors. ; or Tra Co Communal House festival occurs on 30th of lunar May to remember and express gratitude to the God, or the Creators of the village.
Visitng Quan Lan island, visitors have opportunity to take part in Van Don festival held from 10th to 18th of lunar June so as to commemorate Tran Khanh Du, a famous general of the Tran dynasty. Van don festival is a chance for people to not only pay tribute to Tran Khanh Du for his glorious victory over Nguyen Mong army in 1288, but also to further understand the tradition of our fathers’ struggling against invaders . Most visitors will surely be attracted by the boat rowing competition between the two teams representing for the spirit of chivalry of Van Don people.
Article & photos: by Ngoc Mai
