Do Temple Festival – Giap Thin Spring 2024 opens

The opening ceremony of the Do Temple Festival.

Attenders at the ceremony were leaders of Tu Son city, Bonghwa district (Korea), representatives from the Ly clan in Korea, sister localities related to the Ly dynasty, and a large number of officials, local people and tourists.

Mandarin Nguyen Tien Thu reads King Ly Thai To's “Chiếu dời đô” (Edict on the Transfer of the Capital) in 1010.

The Do Temple Festival is annually held on the 14th, 15th, 16th of the third lunar month, commemorating the date when King Ly Thai To (aka Ly Cong Uan) ascended the throne and issued “Chiếu dời đô”. It is a grand festival that attracts a large number of people and tourists, showing Vietnamese people’s respect and gratitude for the contributions of the Ly Kings.

Delegates and a large number of tourists attend the festival.

This year’s festival takes place on a large scale with the solemn ceremony and the jubilant festival. The highlight of the ceremony was the procession of Duc Thanh Mau’s palanquins and Ly Kings’ palanquins from Ung Tam Pagoda (Dan Pagoda) to Do Temple with more than 1,500 participants.

The procession of Duc Thanh Mau’s palanquin and Ly Kings' palanquins according to traditional rituals.

The festival was jubilant with many cultural and sports activities such as: Vietnam - Korea cultural exchange program; performing Quan ho folk songs on boats; Chinese Chess competition, men's volleyball, table tennis, wrestling, smashing clay pot; husband and wife cake wrapping contest, cooking rice in clay pot contest; poetry exchange, exercise; releasing pigeons; fireworks and so on.

Quan ho performance at the Festival.

This year, in order to ensure a smooth and safe festival, the organizing committee and subcommittees were soon established and assigned specific responsibilities. In particular, ensuring security and traffic safety, preventing fire and explosion, ensuring food hygiene and safety, preserving environmental hygiene, arranging space to organize games, etc. are paid special attention.

Chinese Chess competition at the Festival.

In addition, business households in the festival area commit to sell at the right price, with the right quality, to implement cultural behavior, not to solicit customers, thereby, creating a beautiful image and good impression for tourists when attending the Do Temple Festival as well as visiting Bac Ninh - Kinh Bac homeland.

*Some photos at the Do Temple festival:

Perform Quan ho on boat.

“Tổ tôm điếm” (a popular Vietnamese folk card game, usually played by the middle-aged and elderly people).

Wrestling.

Men’s volleyball match.

Husband and wife cake wrapping competition.

Clay pot smashing game.

Catch pig with blindfold.

Exhibition booth at the Festival of the Center for Relic Conservation and Tourism Promotion (the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism).

The Do Temple Festival attracts a large number of local people and tourists.