Giong Festival at Phu Dong Temple

The Giong Festival of Phu Dong and Soc temples which has officially been recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by the UNESCO since November 2010, is held annually from the seventh to the ninth days of the fourth lunar month in order to commemorate the mythical hero Saint Giong at Phu Dong temple in Gia Lam District (his birth place) and from the sixth to the eighth days of the first lunar month at Soc Temple in Soc Son District (his ascending place to heaven).

This year, the Giong Festival at Phu Dong Temple was held solemnly with a large-scale from 9 to 11 May 2011 in Phu Dong Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi with many traditional rituals and special symbolic performances. Besides the water procession and the ritual dedicated to the Saint at the temple, the flag processions and re-enactments of the Saint’s feats against foreign invaders were the highlight of the festival.

The focal and the most exciting time of the Giong Festival that many people expected was the battle re-enactment taking place at 12.30p.m on 11 May 2011 with the participation of more than 1300 people. The battle was elaborately arranged with the roles of Masters (Ong Hieu) such as the Flag Master, the Drum Master, the Gong Master, the Army Master, and the Children Master – the generals of Saint Giong being played by young men and 28 girls played the enemy generals.

During the festival, there are other traditional games such as Chinese chess, human chess, cock fighting... and art performances of villagers as traditional opera (cheo), love duet (quan ho).

The Giong Festival with special national cultural characteristics and high community features is attracting a large number of domestic and international visitors come to visit and study. 
(source: vietnamtourism.com)