Lam Kinh Festival: Restoring five Xuan Pha performances
For the first time, at Lam Kinh Festival 2012, all five famous Xuan Pha plays "Ngu quoc lan bang do tien cong" - a pinnacle of Vietnamese folk dance art - were restored.
On October 7, at Lam Kinh historical relic site, Xuan Lam commune, Tho Xuan district, Thanh Hoa province, Lam Kinh Festival 2012 was solemnly held to commemorate the 594th anniversary of Lam Son uprising, the 584th anniversary of King Le Thai To's coronation and the 579th anniversary of the death of national hero Le Loi.
The ceremony recreated many important events and was imbued with the culture of the Le Dynasty. The opening was the procession of the Le Loi palanquin, Bat Cong palanquin, Le Lai palanquin, military palanquins, chess pieces... departing from the Le Thai To Temple, following the traditional ritual to the front yard of Lam Kinh Palace.
Performing the famous Xuan Pha play at the Lam Kinh Festival 2012. (Photo: Minh Duc/VNA).
The highlight of the Ceremony is the sacrificial rituals with congratulatory and sacrificial messages imbued with humanity passed down from the Le Dynasty. These are the traditional beauty of spiritual culture in Lam Kinh Festival.
Previously, incense offering ceremonies to commemorate national hero Le Loi, Le kings, generals and people with merit in the history of building and defending the country were held at historical sites according to traditional rituals and ensuring cultural, civilized and healthy practices.
The Festival part takes place with a solemn and concise theatrical art program. This is also the first year that Thanh Hoa cultural sector has restored and brought all five famous Xuan Pha performances called "Ngu quoc lan bang do tien cong" - considered a pinnacle of Vietnamese folk dance art into the content of Lam Kinh Festival with dances of Ai Lao, Ngo Quoc, Chiem Thanh, Hoa Lang and Luc Hon Nhung.
Xuan Pha performance, with folk props such as bamboo hats, wooden masks in the shape of grandmothers, mother masks, child masks, half-face masks, fat masks, peacock feather eyes, bamboo xenh... along with "actors" from Xuan Pha village (Tho Xuan) through many dance movements, dance lines, dance formations, enhances the nuances of wet rice culture, the graceful, delicate, discreet but also very strong beauty of the Vietnamese people.
With the Xuan Pha play, visitors from all over the world learn more about the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and neighboring countries during historical periods.
The festival also features traditional games and performances that are typical of each region in Thanh Hoa and closely associated with the Lam Kinh Festival. The festival demonstrates solemnity, practicality, and is imbued with the traditional folk culture of Thanh Hoa.
The festival ended with modern art programs praising the country, homeland and people of Thanh Hoa in building and defending the Fatherland.
Lam Kinh Festival 2012 takes place for three days, from October 6-8, 2012 (ie August 22 and 23 of the lunar calendar) at Lam Kinh relic site (Xuan Lam commune) and Lam Son town (Tho Xuan district) and the temple area of Trung Tuc Vuong Le Lai (Kien Tho commune, Ngoc Lac district)./.
(According to Vietnam+) – LC