A three-day festival commemorating mythical Vietnamese hero Saint Giong began in Hanoi on Feb. 8.
Theannual event at Soc Temple is one of several festivals in the north tohonour Saint Giong, a legendary hero who is said to have defeated anarmy of foreign invaders.
Participants at the Soc Templefestivities took part in offerings to the saint, the moc duc ceremony,symbolising a cleansing process for the temple, and the bambooprocession, which celebrates Saint Giong's martial arts skills with abamboo weapon used to defeat the invaders.
According to legend,Saint Giong was only three years old when the country was invaded bynorthern troops. When the infant Giong heard an official from the royalcourt calling for skilled warriors to defend the motherland, hemagically grew in stature.
Last year, the Saint Giong festivalwas recognised by UNESCO as an example of the world's intangibleheritage that should be preserved. It's one of several major festivalsacross the country during the onset of spring.
In other festivalsacross the north, people in Ha Nam province begin celebrating the Tichdien (ploughing the rice field) festival on Feb. 9. The three-dayfestival commemorates the day King Le Dai Hanh ploughed a field topromote farming during the 10th century.
Tens of thousands ofvisitors also converged on Dong Ky Village, Tu Son town in the northernprovince of Bac Ninh, on Feb. 6 in the traditional firecracker festival.
Fourrespected elders from each of the four hamlets in the village wereselected to perform rituals and pray for good weather, bumper crops andprosperity.
The festival, which is organised on the fourth day ofthe first lunar month and lasts for three days, honours General ThienCuong, who recruited young villagers to fire on the enemy and was laterconsidered the tutelary god of the village.
Hundreds of touristsand local residents witnessed an annual traditional wrestlingcompetition held in the Thua Thien-Hue central province on Feb. 8.
Scoresof wrestlers from Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Tri provinces took part inthe event held in Thu Le village in Quang Dien district.
The ThuLe Wrestling Festival, begun by local residents more than 100 years ago,was revived recently after disappearing during the war.
Theevent will be followed by other festivities like the Princess Huyen TranFestival in Huong Thuy district on February 11, the Sinh VillageWrestling Competition in Quang Dien district on February 12, and theFish Praying Festival in Phu Vang district on February 14./.
Theannual event at Soc Temple is one of several festivals in the north tohonour Saint Giong, a legendary hero who is said to have defeated anarmy of foreign invaders.
Participants at the Soc Templefestivities took part in offerings to the saint, the moc duc ceremony,symbolising a cleansing process for the temple, and the bambooprocession, which celebrates Saint Giong's martial arts skills with abamboo weapon used to defeat the invaders.
According to legend,Saint Giong was only three years old when the country was invaded bynorthern troops. When the infant Giong heard an official from the royalcourt calling for skilled warriors to defend the motherland, hemagically grew in stature.
Last year, the Saint Giong festivalwas recognised by UNESCO as an example of the world's intangibleheritage that should be preserved. It's one of several major festivalsacross the country during the onset of spring.
In other festivalsacross the north, people in Ha Nam province begin celebrating the Tichdien (ploughing the rice field) festival on Feb. 9. The three-dayfestival commemorates the day King Le Dai Hanh ploughed a field topromote farming during the 10th century.
Tens of thousands ofvisitors also converged on Dong Ky Village, Tu Son town in the northernprovince of Bac Ninh, on Feb. 6 in the traditional firecracker festival.
Fourrespected elders from each of the four hamlets in the village wereselected to perform rituals and pray for good weather, bumper crops andprosperity.
The festival, which is organised on the fourth day ofthe first lunar month and lasts for three days, honours General ThienCuong, who recruited young villagers to fire on the enemy and was laterconsidered the tutelary god of the village.
Hundreds of touristsand local residents witnessed an annual traditional wrestlingcompetition held in the Thua Thien-Hue central province on Feb. 8.
Scoresof wrestlers from Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Tri provinces took part inthe event held in Thu Le village in Quang Dien district.
The ThuLe Wrestling Festival, begun by local residents more than 100 years ago,was revived recently after disappearing during the war.
Theevent will be followed by other festivities like the Princess Huyen TranFestival in Huong Thuy district on February 11, the Sinh VillageWrestling Competition in Quang Dien district on February 12, and theFish Praying Festival in Phu Vang district on February 14./.
