Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh plows the fields during the Tich Dien festival.
After the drum performance, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh and local people went down to the fields to perform traditional plowing rituals.
 |
| Tich Dien Festival. |
On the morning of February 11 (the 7th day of the Lunar New Year), Doi Son commune, Duy Tien district held the Tich Dien festival, commemorating the 1,032nd anniversary of the day King Le Dai Hanh and his mandarins plowed the fields at the foot of the mountain. This is also the 10th year the festival has been restored by the Duy Tien district People's Committee after a period of loss.
The Tich Dien ceremony is meant to worship Thanh Hoang, Than Nong, the gods of clouds, rain, thunder, and lightning to pray for favorable weather and bountiful crops, so it is also called Ha Dien Cau Bong. According to historical books, in the spring of 987, for the first time, King Le Dai Hanh and his mandarins plowed the fields in Doi Son and found a pot of gold; in 988, the king plowed the fields in Ban Hai and found a pot of silver, so these fields were also called Kim Ngan Dien. Since then, the Tich Dien ceremony has been maintained by many later kings.
 |
| Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh attended the Tich Dien festival and went to the fields to plow the furrows in brown clothes. |
According to tradition, the organizers of the Tich Dien festival choose a local to reenact the scene of the king plowing. This year, the person chosen to play the role of the king is Mr. Nghi Van Tien, 74 years old, from Doi Tin village (Doi Tam commune, Duy Tien district).
 |
| This year, the person chosen to play the role of the king is Mr. Nghi Van Tien, 74 years old, from Doi Tin village (Doi Tam commune, Duy Tien district). |
After the ceremony of receiving the royal spirit, the person playing the role of King Le Dai Hanh is dressed in a royal robe and mask.
 |
| After the ceremony of receiving the royal spirit, the person playing the role of King Le Dai Hanh is dressed in a royal robe and mask. |
In order, the king plowed 3 fields, the central and provincial leaders plowed 5 fields, the district leaders plowed 7 fields, and the commune leaders and elders plowed 9 fields.
After the Tich Dien festival was restored in 2009, in 2010, for the first time, President Nguyen Minh Triet wore a farmer's uniform and held a plow to perform the Tich Dien Doi Son ceremony. In the following years, many high-ranking leaders attended this festival.
