The 2025 Traditional Festival of Mo Chu Ha Village

On February 6–7, 2025 (corresponding to January 9–10 of the At Ty year), the People’s Committee of Bach Hac Ward, Viet Tri City, hosted the traditional festival of Mo Chu Ha Village.

A sacred worship ritual was performed at Mo Chu Ha Communal House.

The leader of the Bach Hac Ward People’s Committee struck the ceremonial drum to mark the opening of the festival.

Mo Chu Ha Communal House is dedicated to the worship of King Le Dai Hanh (Le Hoan). According to legend, during our people’s resistance against the Song army, General Le Hoan once ordered his soldiers to retreat to Mo Chu Ha Village under the cover of darkness. Both the men and their horses were exhausted. The king allowed his soldiers to rest. The next morning, the villagers prepared rice cakes as an offering to provide nourishment for the troops. (This day later became January 10 in the festival tradition.) Empowered by the rice cakes, the soldiers regained their strength and continued their battle against the enemy. In the At Ty year (1006), King Le Dai Hanh passed away. To honor their deep admiration for the wise and benevolent king, who once stayed in their village, the people of Mo Chu Ha carved a statue and installed a worship tablet, enshrining him as their village’s tutelary god. In 2001, the Mo Chu Ha Village Communal House and Pagoda were officially recognized as a provincial historical and cultural relic site.

Teams enthusiastically compete in the traditional rice cake-pounding event.

Participants eagerly catch rice cakes in a lively festival tradition.

The Mo Chu Ha Village Festival follows traditional rituals. Following the water procession and sacrificial ceremony- held to pray for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, prosperity, and happiness- the festival features a unique cultural activity: the traditional rice cake pounding competition. This practice has been passed down for generations in Mo Chu Ha Village. Four ancestral groups- Giap Dong, Giap Tay, Giap Nam, and Giap Bac—participate in this ritual to honor King Le Dai Hanh’s contributions in defending the nation from foreign invaders. In addition to the main festivities, various cultural and sports exchange activities are organized to preserve traditions and foster unity and community bonding.

Participants carefully prepare and present their rice cakes for judging at the Mo Chu Ha Village Rice Cake Pounding Competition.

Moc Lam