Spring festival in Quan Ho region

Bac Ninh is known as the hometown of traditional festivals

Dong Ky firecracker procession festival

4th day of January, people of Dong Ky village, Tu Son, Bac Ninh have organized the picking up ceremony of banger in the early in the year. According to legend, this festival existed from the 6thHung King dynasty, originating from the fact that Thien Cuong general came back to his village to gather the troops to help Hung King fight against the enemies. When defeat, Thien Cuong led the successful troops returning and the village has opened the feast to the troops. This custom is still remained by people of Dong Ky village up to now.

Dong Ky firecracker procession festival is one of eight intangible cultural heritages of Bac Ninh province, which the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List since 2016.

The 27m high Amitabha Buddha statue is considered as one of the largest stone statues in Southeast Asia located on the campus of Phat Tich Pagoda.

Phat Tich Pagoda Festival

Legend has it that: Long time ago, Phat Tich mountain area and Phat Tich Pagoda garden are cultivated with numeral of peonies. Annually, in spring, peonies brightly bloom red. Phat Tich Pagoda celebrates festival at the beginning of the year on 4th of lunar January to welcome new year, worship Buddha and wish for fortune. People from everywhere come to this place to enjoy flowers and the landscape of the pagoda. On the sky, a fairy named Giang Huong admired the wonderful landscape on earth, so she asked for descending on earth to join the festival. By accident, Giang Huong broke a branch of peony so a bonze stopped her. Tu Thuc, a district commando, was on his way to enjoy this festival and saw this scene, he took off the coat to save her guilt. To be moved by the lofty and beautiful behavior of the generous young man, Ms. Giang Huong had decided to date with him and asked him to move the “Elysium” place to get married.

Phat Tich Pagoda is not far from Dau Pagoda; it lies on the land where the meeting between Indian Buddhism and Vietnam’s traditional credence takes place from the beginning of the Christ, basing on the foundation, the Dau Luy Lau Buddhism center was formed. Phat Tich Pagoda has many tangible heritages and ranked first with regards to the antiques value. It is typical to mention: the statue of A Di Da Buddha (1057) which is a national precious object; the statue foot carved with orchestra (1057); the cremation statue of Chuyet Chuyet bonze; 32 precious towers (XVII - XX century)…

People cheered for two tug of war teams in Huu Chap area.

Huu Chap’s tug of war

At the festival of Huu Chap village in Hoa Long commune, Bac Ninh, Tug of war game has become an official ritual of the festival. According to legends, local people wanted to find strong people to build houses and communal houses, so they organized a competition of pulling timber rafts, which later became the tug of war game. Huu Chap village’s festival of tug of war takes place on the 4th day of the first lunar month. It has been organized in the village for nearly 400 years. The festival begins with a solemn procession, a worshipping ceremony and a ceremony to recall the village’s history and tradition.

In 2015, Rituals and games of tug of war in Vietnam, including Huu Chap village, were honored by UNESCO as a multi-national intangible cultural heritage.

Quan ho singing at Lim festival - Characteristics of Bac Ninh - Kinh Bac people.

Lim festival

Lim Festival is a major festival annually taking place in the beginning of spring, from the 12th to 14th day of January (Lunar calendar), in Lim town, Tien Du district, Bac Ninh province. In the festival, there are many ritual and famous folk games, including the custom of Worship Singing. In the morning of 13th, all of village notables, elders and males of village, communes of old Noi Due district gather in Hong Van royal tomb in order to offer sacrifices to gods. To sing Quan Ho to gods, male singers and female singers stand in lines in front of royal tomb’s entrance and sing. While singing, they only sing in specific manners to praise merits of gods.

The most essential and typical part of Lim Festival is singing in assembly including inviting betel, calling ferry, river crossing mynah, mosquito net spring spider. The singing contest is held according to the model of singing-in-the-boat on a little lake near the field of Lim village around middle-noon time when the red-lacquer-and-gold-trimmed dragon boat leaves port in sentimental singing voice. Female side stands or sits close prows. The way that Quan Ho people in Lim country play in the festival is very unique as includes communication gestures which present aspects of culture, art and spirit faiths of festivals in Bac Ninh province.

Ba Chua Kho Temple attracts thousands of visitors every day.

Ba Chua Kho Festival

Ba Chua Kho Festival was first held on 12 January, Dinh Ty Year (02/16/1077). It is the anniversary of death to commemorate the heavenly beauty of women, cleverly held production, save the food, look after the national treasure in Nhu Nguyet river (Cau river).

According to the legend, Ba Chua Kho is a woman of faith, taking paint, hard-working, after getting married to Ly king, she asked the King for arriving to Vu Ninh region (Vu Ninh Ward, Bac Ninh City nowadays), gather the people to set up the village, cultivate the wild field, hold the production in 72 farms. She also held the taking care of food stocks, good storage of food for military during and after the win tof Tong invader in Nhu Nguyet River  in 1076. In 1075, Tong dynasty invaded Vietnam, Ba Chua Kho was heroic passed away at the Nhu Nguyet river front. This is a decisive and ultimately battle in the war against the Tong Dynasty (1075-1077). To be appreciated for patriotism of her, the king had awarded her as “Phúc Thần”, Co Me people show their gratefulness and set up the temple at the position of the food store in the past.