Preserving the Soul of the Tich Dien Festival in the Ancestral Land

The festival takes place at the Dan Tich Dien historical site (now in Viet Tri Ward)—a location associated with the legend of the Hung Kings encouraging agriculture and teaching the people how to transplant rice, marking the dawn of the Vietnamese wet-rice civilization. More than just an early spring field-opening ritual, the festival symbolizes the industrious spirit of labor and the ancestral will to build and defend the nation.

The “Hung King Teaching the People to Transplant Rice” festival is one of the representative cultural events of Viet Tri Ward.

The 2026 Spring Festival of “Hung King Teaching the People to Transplant Rice” is organized to honor the immense merits of the Hung Kings in the early days of national founding, particularly their enlightenment of agriculture—the foundation for the sustainable development of the Vietnamese nation. By maintaining and standardizing traditional rituals, local authorities aim to fully preserve the historical and cultural values of the festival while gradually developing it into a signature cultural-tourism product, linking heritage conservation with the development of agricultural and service economies.

This year’s organization was carried out with serious and systematic preparation, ensuring a solemn yet economical atmosphere in accordance with traditional rites. The Ceremonial Section was conducted with reverence, while the Festive Section was joyful and healthy, creating an exciting spring atmosphere for the public. Approximately 160 people were selected from seven residential areas and local schools in the former Minh Nong area to participate in the rituals.

The lineup included 18 young men carrying festival flags representing the 18 generations of Hung Kings; a male ritual team of middle-aged and elderly members; and a traditional orchestra. It also featured teams of guards, palanquin bearers for the “Nghinh Van” and “Long Ngai” palanquins, 14 women in traditional ao dai presenting offerings, and 18 women performing the rice transplanting demonstration, along with the figures playing the Hung King and his attendants. The rituals followed a traditional sequence: the Cao Yet Ceremony (afternoon of the 14th day of the first lunar month) and the Main Ceremony on the morning of the 15th.

The procession departed from Khanh Nguyen Pagoda, marching toward Dan Tich Dien in a sacred and solemn atmosphere. The highlight of the festival was the field-opening ritual, reenacting the image of the Hung King encouraging agriculture and joining young women in transplanting the first rice seedlings of spring—a symbol of fertility, abundance, and prosperity. Beyond cultural values, the festival opens a path for sustainable agricultural development.

The Minh Nong and Tan Duc Agricultural Cooperatives have been tasked with maintaining the cultivation area for the festival while monitoring and developing traditional rice varieties into signature local commercial products.

This is a concrete step in connecting cultural heritage with economic and tourism development, contributing to the improvement of local livelihoods. Parallel to the ceremony was a contest for wrapping and cooking Banh Chung and pounding Banh Giay—traditional dishes linked to the legend of Lang Lieu from the Hung King era. The activity attracted 11 teams representing residential areas, fostering a spirit of community solidarity and bonding.

Teams representing residential areas participate in the festival, spreading the spirit of community unity.

Ms. Tran Thi Thu Huyen, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Viet Tri Ward, stated: "To ensure a safe and solemn festival, the Ward People’s Committee established an Organizing Committee with specific assignments for security, environmental hygiene, food safety, and social mobilization of resources. Notably, propaganda in schools is prioritized to help the younger generation better understand the value of the Dan Tich Dien site and the significance of the traditional festival, thereby nurturing national pride and an awareness of preserving their homeland’s cultural identity."

A procession of offerings from the local people.

Amidst the changes of modern life, maintaining an ancient agricultural festival is not only an annual cultural activity but also a practical action to preserve community memory. The festival not only recalls ancestral roots but also carries aspirations for bountiful harvests, national peace, and regional development.

In the Spring of 2026, on the fields of Dan Tich Dien, the green rice seedlings being transplanted do not just start a new crop; they sow a belief in the continuity of tradition and the enduring vitality of the thousand-year-old Ancestral Land culture.

Huong Giang