Opening Ceremony of the Van Temple - Cua Rao Festival

(Baonghean.vn) - On February 17th (the 21st day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Rooster), the 2017 Van Temple - Cua Rao Festival officially opened in Xa Luong commune (Tuong Duong district).with lively and engaging activities.

The Van-Cua Temple Festival is an occasion for the people of various ethnic groups living in the area to commemorate the contributions of General Doan Nhu Hai (during the Tran Dynasty) in repelling the Lao invaders and securing the borders.

Procession of the ancestral tablets of Đoàn Nhữ Hài and the Three Holy Mothers. Photo: Đình Tuân.

In a fierce battle, Doan Nhu Hai and many soldiers bravely sacrificed their lives in this land. To commemorate the contributions of the General and the soldiers of the Tran Dynasty, the people erected a temple at the confluence of the Nam Non and Nam Mo rivers, where they offer incense and hold festivals year-round. The Van - Cua Rao Temple also houses the shrine of the Three Holy Mothers – one of the "Four Immortals" in folk beliefs.

Numerous locals and tourists from all over flocked to the Van - Cua Rao temple to offer incense during the festival. Photo: Dinh Tuan.

This year's Van Temple - Cua Rao Festival was solemn and sacred, featuring the opening ceremony, announcement, procession, grand sacrifice, and thanksgiving ceremony. The festival part was lively with camping activities, cultural and artistic exchanges, sports competitions, and folk games reflecting the region's unique cultural identity, such as stick pushing, cockfighting, crossbow shooting, throwing the "con" (a type of ball), swinging, and stilt walking.

Cong Kien - Dinh Tuan