(BNP) - On February 21st (the 5th day of the Lunar New Year), at the Xương Giang Victory Site, a special national historical monument, the Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Fatherland Front Committee of Bac Giang ward organized the opening ceremony of the 599th Anniversary of the Xương Giang Victory (1427 - 2026).
Delegates attend the opening ceremony.
Attending the ceremony were Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Hong Thai; Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Thi Huong; Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Viet Oanh; Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Pham Hoang Son.
The delegates offer incense.
Before the opening ceremony, delegates and the people offered incense and rang gongs and drums to officially open the festival.
Secretary Nguyen Hong Thai beat the drum to officially open the festival
In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Bac Giang Ward People's Committee Tran Van Thanh emphasized: In the spring of 1418, the Lam Son Uprising, initiated by national hero Le Loi, began in the highlands of Thanh Hoa . By mid-1426, the rebel army advanced north, besieging Dong Quan citadel. Faced with this situation, the Ming army, while seeking peace, urgently dispatched reinforcements. Understanding the enemy's intentions, under the brilliant leadership of Le Loi and the renowned cultural figure Nguyen Trai, the Lam Son rebels implemented the strategy of "besieging the citadel and destroying the reinforcements," concentrating their forces to annihilate the arriving troops.
The opening ceremony of the festival begins with drum performances and lion and dragon dances.
Among the sieges and attacks on enemy fortresses, the battle at Xương Giang Fortress is considered the most arduous and fierce. After more than six months of siege and over 30 battles, both large and small, the Lam Sơn rebels and the local people captured Xương Giang Fortress ten days before reinforcements arrived in Vietnam, creating a favorable position for the decisive victory that followed, ending 20 years of brutal Ming rule and ushering in a period of peace and prosperity for Đại Việt. This victory became a glorious milestone, adding another glorious chapter to the history of our nation's resistance against foreign invaders.
For centuries, the people of Xương Giang have organized a festival at the beginning of spring (from the 5th to the 7th of January) every year to commemorate the great contributions of their ancestors and the heroic fighters who bravely fought in the Lam Sơn uprising, contributing to the glorious Chi Lăng - Xương Giang victory in the history of the nation.
With its unique historical and cultural values, in 2019, the Xuong Giang Victory Site was recognized by the Prime Minister as a Special National Monument; in 2023, the Xuong Giang Traditional Festival was included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The meticulously staged artistic program recreated the heroic spirit of the historic victory.
Following the ceremony, delegates and the public enjoyed the artistic program "The Everlasting Spirit of Xuong Giang," consisting of three parts: "The Spirit of Xuong Giang," "Xuong Giang Shines Brightly in Spring," and "Continuing the Tradition - Shining Brightly Towards the Future."
On February 22nd and 23rd (the 6th and 7th days of the first lunar month), the Xuong Giang Festival continues with performances of intangible cultural heritage (Cheo singing, Quan Ho singing, Ca Tru singing); screening of animated films about the history of the Xuong Giang Victory; and an exhibition of commemorative photos of the Xuong Giang Victory. Traditional folk games and a rural market space featuring local specialties will also be organized.
