A ritual at the Mother Au Co festival (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - New-year writing, buffalo decorating, Duom Temple and Mother Au Co Festivals are among the many cultural activities that take place across Vietnam in the upcoming festival season of the lunar new year.
The new-year writing festival in Hanoi was celebrated in Chu Van An Temple in Hanoi’s suburban Thanh Tri District on the fifth day of the first lunar month (February 1). The event began with a purifying ceremony to pay tribute to Chu Van An (1292 – 1370), who was known as “a role model for teachers throughout the ages” because of his moral standards and excellence in teaching.
According to Nguyen Huu Do, Director of Hanoi’s Education and Traning Department, the festival aims to promote learning and respect for knowledge.
Similar festivals were celebrated in other provinces; including Hai Phong City and Quang Ninh province in the north, and the central province of Nghe An. Held annually every lunar New Year after Tet, the festival has become a cultural highlight in Vietnam.
Locals in the northern province of Ha Nam have joined the festival atmosphere nationwide by celebrating the Buffalo Decorating Contest within the annual Doi Sơn Tich Dien (ploughing) festival on the fields of Doi Tin Village in Duy Tien District. The contest attracted 20 artists from across the country and two artists from Spain and France.
The province also held other cultural activities, including wrestling, stalls offering local specialties and traditional games.
One of the biggest festivals of the northern province of Thai Nguyên, Duom Temple Festival also kicked off in Duom Village in Phu Luong District.
Held on the sixth day of the first lunar month, the festival aims to honour national hero Duong Tu Minh, who ousted invaders and defended frontiers of the motherland in northern Vietnam under the Ly dynasty (1009-1225).
The event consisted of a ceremony, traditional games and local delicacies.
Duom Temple Festival was recently named as National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
A festival commemorating the nation’s legendary Mother Au Cơ opened on February 3 in the northern province of Phu Tho.
In addition to the ritual, the festival offered visitors a chance to take part in folk games and enjoy traditional arts performances.-VNA
VNA
