The ancestral land festival culture

Festivals, which have evolved over thousands of years of nation-building and defense, are a traditional cultural characteristic, a cultural element, and a manifestation of national cultural identity. Phu Tho, the Vietnamese people’s ancestral homeland, still holds a valuable wealth of one-of-a-kind traditional festivals. For many years, Phu Tho province has implemented many effective solutions aimed at preserving, preserving, and developing festivals with the goal of becoming both rich in identity and rich in humanistic spirit, as well as developing tourism potential...

Great Mother Au Co is worshipped in the Great Mother Au Co Temple in Hien Luong commune, Ha Hoa district.

Settle the ancient soul

Phu Tho is a country of national growth with a rich culture, history, and civilization. It now hosts 315 festivals, including 311 traditional festivals and four Cultural, Sports, and Tourism festivals. Traditional folk festivals in the the ancestral land region are frequently associated with the community’s cultural space, with unique and characteristic rituals containing historical and spiritual cultural values. They serve as a living museum that preserves and reflects intangible cultural heritage values created by the community and passed down from generation to generation. Among traditional festivals, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has designated certain festivals as National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Recently, three intangible cultural heritages in the province were designated: Du Yen Temple Festival (Chi Tien commune, Thanh Ba district), Lady Goddess Procession Festival (Hung Son town, Lam Thao district), and Muong People’s Forest Opening Ceremony (Yen Lap district).

As a base for maintaining local culture and national cultural heritage, the traditional folk festival of Phu Tho - Land of the Hung Kings features similar formal aspects of Vietnamese festivals in general, but The distinct worth of a place of national origin linked with the period when the Hung Kings created the nation. In general, these festivals all have unique characteristics of being closely linked to the ethnic community, worshiping the Hung Kings - the ancestors of the Vietnamese people, and the types of ancient Vietnamese beliefs with deep roots; reflecting the historical events of building and defending the country of the people of the ancestral land region and of the entire Vietnamese people, so it is of great significance in educating the tradition of revolutionary struggle for generations.

Among these, the Hung King’s Commemoration - Hung Temple Festival is a significant feature of the religious practice of Hung King Worship in Phu Tho, which has been designated by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of mankind. Along with that are traditional festivals: Au Co Temple Festival (Ha Hoa district) is associated with the legend of Mother Au Co giving birth to the Vietnamese people in a bag of a hundred eggs, opening mountains to establish hamlets, teaching people to cultivate rice and grow mulberries weaving...; Lang Suong Temple Festival (Thanh Thuy district) is associated with the legend of Mrs. Dinh Thi Den giving birth to Tan Vien Son Thanh, one of the sacred “Four Immortals” worshiped by the people forever; The Festival of Hung King teaching people rice cutivation, is held on the full moon day of the first lunar month in Dan Tich Dien, Minh Nong ward, Viet Tri city, and is related with the culture of the Hung King period, the beginning of wet rice cultivation by Vietnamese agricultural residents. Phet Festival (Tam Nong district) honors Princess Thieu Hoa, a female general of the Hai Ba Trung period, for her contributions to fighting foreign invaders and protecting the homeland; Tro Tram Festival (Lam Thao district) is the most ancient Vietnamese festival, with a “secret ceremony” held at midnight to pray for the race’s fertility and good crops...

Traditional celebrations in the ancestral homeland have maintained and clearly represented a complete community’s ideals and ambitions for good. Traditional festivals have preserved and enhanced the beauty of the ancestral land region’s traditional culture, civilization, and village civilization, as expressed in lifestyle with basic awareness: consciousness of national roots with the morality of drinking water, remembering the source, awareness of fine customs, cultural talents, sports arts, traditional techniques... Traditional festivals have helped to maintain and elevate our predecessors' excellent living ethics over time, as well as historical and cultural values.

The “Social practices and beliefs of the forest opening ceremony of the Muong people in Yen Lap district” have been designated as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Exemplary, safe and polite

For many years, in keeping with the motto of preserving, preserving, and developing festivals that are both rich in identity and rich in humanistic spirit, as well as developing tourism potential, Phu Tho province has implemented many synchronous solutions, effectively and in accordance with practical conditions, ensuring that festivals in the area are organized solemnly, safely, and civilized...

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism considers the Hung Temple Festival to be an example festival in the country, with the objective of transforming Viet Tri into a festival city that returns to the Vietnamese nation’s origins. The annual Hung King’s Commemoration Festival - Hung Temple Festival is given special importance and carefully prepared by all levels, sectors, functional agencies and local authorities, focusing on preserving and promoting cultural values the core of heritage, the gathering place of the people of the whole country and our expatriates abroad; manage and organize cultural, sports, and tourism events well to turn heritage into assets that contribute to promoting local socio

At the same time, control and provide security and order, transportation safety, food hygiene and safety, monitor market pricing, and correctly address acts of profiteering during festivals; construct and ensure a cultural and civilized atmosphere in festive events... As a result, it has left a lasting influence on millions of compatriots and visitors from all across the area who visit each year to give incense in honor of their relatives' death anniversary.

During the Dao Xa Communal house Festival (Thanh Thuy district), villages competed with ceremonial chickens and five-fruit trays.

Prior to this year’s festival season, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued Official Telegram No. 11/CD-TTg dated January 30, 2024 on maintaining a civilized, safe, and economical lifestyle in religious events, including the Lunar New Year Giap Thin and Spring Festival 2024. The Prime Minister urged ministries and local branches to increase steps to ensure a festive, healthy, safe, and cost-effective Tet holiday. At the same time, ensuring that belief and religion activities during the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival 2024 are legal, civilized, safe, healthy, cost-effective, meaningful, and consistent with national cultural traditions.

Implementing the Prime Minister’s direction and the content of Official Dispatch No. 5833/BVHTTDL-VP of the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on strengthening the management and organization of cultural and sports activities, sports, tourism, and festivals to celebrate the Year of the Dragon in 2024, along with the direction of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People’s Committee, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has proactively prepared documentation to guide local authorities at all levels in carrying out the direction of conducting the event safely, civilly, and in compliance with rules.

Following the traditional Tet holiday, dozens of traditional celebrations were organized in various communities. Among these, there are festivals that draw a great number of tourists from all over the nation, such as the Au Co Temple Festival, Tro Tram Festival, Phet Hien Quan Festival, Hung King Festival, which teaches people how to harvest rice, Temple Festival Van Luong... In general, festivals are arranged to assure safety and civilization standards, to fulfill spiritual and religious cultural demands, and to leave a positive impression on residents and tourists. Practically boost the image of the local and people in the ancestral land.

Following the success of recent festival seasons, this year, Phu Tho continues to handle festivals successfully, firmly controlling festivals with provocative conduct, violent rituals, superstitions, The establishment of festivals for commercial or profit-seeking motives is prohibited. Localities, units, and authorities will take drastic and responsible action to ensure that festivals are organized in a safe and civilized manner; create the most favorable conditions for compatriots and tourists from all over to make pilgrimages to the Ancestral Land and participate in festive activities.

Festivals are communal cultural events focused on the people. In addition to the efforts of all levels of government and functional agencies, every citizen and visitor participating in the festival must actively and pro-actively participate with the most particular and practical actions: Comply with the law, act culturally and civilly during the event, and follow community customs and the event Organizing Committee’s standards. In this way, every traditional holiday in the homeland will leave a positive impression, and the festival’s cultural, historical, and humanistic significance will be widely disseminated, resulting in significant community outcomes.

Nguyen Dac Thuy

Director of the provicial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.