|
VIETNAM FESTIVAL AND EVENTS
January |
February
|
March |
April |
May |
June/July |
August
September |
October |
November |
December
The festivals and
events are calendared in Lunar month. Normally, a lunar month stay
later than western month of around 30 days.
DOSON BUFFALO FIGHTING FESTIVAL
The Buffalo Fight in
Do Son (Haiphong City) is officially held every year on the 9th
day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. There are, in fact,
two rounds of elimination before the middle of the 5th month and
8th day of the 6th lunar month.
The preparation for
this festival is very elaborate.
Fighting buffaloes must be
carefully selected, well fed, and trained. These buffaloes 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
fighting buffaloes are fed in separate cages to keep them from
contact with common buffaloes.
The beginning of the
worshipping ceremony lasts until lunch time. A typical procession
begins with an octet and a big procession chair, carried by six
strong young men. The six clean buffaloes that are part of the
ceremony are covered with red cloths and bound with reddish bands
on their horns. There are 24 young men who dance and wave flags as
two teams of troops start fighting. After this event, a pair of
buffaloes are led to opposite sides of the festival grounds and
are made to stand near two flags called Ngu Phung. When the right
signal is released, the two buffaloes are moved to within 20m of
each other. At the next signal, the two leaders release the ropes
that are attached to the noses of the buffaloes. The two buffaloes
then rush into each other with well practiced movements. The
spectators then shout and urge the fighting along.
At the completion of
the fight, the spectacle of "receiving the
buffaloes" is very
interesting as the leaders must then catch the winning buffalo to
grant it its reward.
The Buffalo Fight in
Do Son is a traditional festival that is attached to a Water God
worshipping ceremony and the "Hien Sinh" custom. The most typical
reason for the ceremony is to express the martial spirit of the
local people in Do Son, Haiphong.
Starting Dates in Western
Calendar 2005 Sept 12, 2020 Oct
30, 2007 Sept 19, 2020 Sept 08
KIEP BAC FESTIVAL
The
Kiep Bac Temple, where people come to worship Tran Quoc Tuan, the
main general of the Tran Dynasty, is located in Hung Dao Commune,
Chi Linh District, Haiduong Province. Tran Quoc Tuan was the
general who defeated the Chinese Nguyen-Mong invaders three times.
Because of his merits to the nation, he was proclaimed a saint.
To get to Kiep Bac
Temple from Hanoi City, take the National Highway that leads to
the township of Bacninh (about 30 km). Then, go along National
Highway No.18 that stretches from Bacninh to Pha Lai, and which
eventually leads to Kiep Bac Temple. The Kiep Bac Temple Festival
lasts from the 15th to 20th day of the 8th lunar month.
A pilgrimage to the
Kiep Bac Temple Festival has been deemed a centuries old
Vietnamese custom honoring Saint Tran. The main day of the
festival occurs on the 20th day of the 8th lunar month, but from
the previous days onward, the festival attract visitors from all
over. The main ceremony is followed by a great ceremony with
elaborate worshipping procedures. This ceremony is followed next
by a procession where Saint Tran's ancestral tablet is brought on
a golden procession chair, passing three walled gates toward the
river bank. The procession chair is then placed on a royal barge.
The procession march lasts for two hours and then Saint Tran's
ancestral tablet is brought back to the main temple for the last
religious service.
In the olden times,
the religious service in the Kiep Bac Temple Festival was simple
and conducting a trance was the main activity. The festival has
been improved, but it still bears the special characteristics of
the traditional national identity. One of the most interesting
activities in the festival is the boat race on the Luc Dau River,
in which hundreds of boats participate. The boat race is like
flying arrows rushing through the air as the boats are urged along
by drumming sounds and the screaming of excited people. Taking
part in the Kiep Bac Temple Festival, participants relive the
atmosphere of when Tran Quoc Tuan placed his troops into a
battle-array. This festival makes the Vietnamese people feel proud
of the glorious traditions of their nation
Starting Dates in Western
Calendar 2005 Sept 12, 2020 Oct
30, 2007 Sept 19, 2020 Sept 08.
|
