North Vietnam Traditional Festival

Vietnam, a country with 54 ethnic groups of people and each group has many traditional festival that shows their cultures and traditions is really valueable for tourism nowsaday.

Gau Tao Festival

This traditional festival belongs to H'Mong ethinic group in the North provinces of Vietnam. Gau Tao festival is help to ask for luckiness and safety for the whole village. For some childless families, it is time for them to show their respect to the Gods so that God can understand and gives them a child.. 

Gau Tao Festival

Normally, this festival occurs from 26th to 29th of the final lunar month due to Chinese cenladar. It will be help at a flat place that is near the main roads of the village.many games will be seen in that festival like: Spinning, Wrestling, Bow firing, Horse racing and many other kind of traditional dancing also happens. 

Umbrella dancing

Khen dancing

It's time for the villagers relax after a hardworking year. Today, many tourists also come there to enjoy and join the festival as they want to experience the real life f local people there.

Lap Tich Festival

This festival belongs to Dzao people in some mountainous areas of Vietnam. Lap Tich or Cap Sac festival is the most important one of Dzao people. This is the ritual for all the man in the village. 

Lap Tich ritual

If anyone (male only) want the society knows that he is an adult, he has to overcome the Lap Tich Festival. This one is also the letter to Gods to show that this man now can contribute to the group he is living.

Offering in Lap Tich 

The price for that festival is very expensive for the Dzao people as it only happens one time in the life of the man. For the offering, they need to have rice, pork and money to invite the old people and other local people come to witness. The average age of the man begins from 13 years old. 

Huong Pagoda Festival

Huong pagoda festival occurs from 6th of the first lunar month to the end of the 3rd lunar month at Huong Son village, Hoai Duc district, Hanoi. This is the longest festival of Vietnam.

One pagoda in this festival

Coming to join this festival, we can take a boat to visit some pagodas there. While waiting for coming to the main cave (the main pagoda is inside the cave, called Huong Tich Cave), we can enjoy the view in the both side of the river banks with the yellow color of rice field.

Sampan in Huong pagoda

Main pagoda - Huong Tich Cave

Every year, thousands of people come here to worship and wish for a better new year.

Lim Festival

Lim festival is in Bac Ninh province, the province that famous for many big pagodas and 1 intangible world heritage: Quan ho Singing.

Quan Ho Singing

Lim festival occurs in 13th of the first lunar month. This time, many people from Bac Ninh province will gather together at Lung Giang village, Tien Son district.

Lim festiva

Normally, this festival will be held each 3 years. Many games and activities are also help in this festival.

There are still many other famous and interesting festival in Vietnam, once you come, you can see and enjoy it yourself.!!

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Amazing North Vietnam

Hanoi – Ha Long – Ninh Binh

In the early morning in North Vietnam, we went to the airport and pick up the guests at Noi Bai International airport. It took a long time to wait for the airport. When tourists came, they were very tired and seemed not to be welcomed, but when we introduced about Hanoi and the itinerary of the day, they became more interested. After leaving the airport, the driver took us to the temple of literature, the first university of Vietnam. It was on the 3^rd of Vietnamese New Year holiday, so there are so many tourists came there. We had chances to see the tradition of Vietnam people of Tet Holiday (according to the Vietnam’s words) with many “old teachers” sitting in front the temple writing the lucky parallel.  It was so lucky for us to see that. Lunch in Hanoi was very different; we ate “Pho” – special of Hanoi.

First gate of the temple

Constellation of Pavillion in Temple of literature

In the afternoon, we came to see the Hoan Kiem Lake with Ngoc Son Temple. That time, the guide told us about the legend of Hoan Kiem Lake related to the golden turtle and Le Loi King. It was really interesting story. Ngoc Son Temple is much different from the temple we had visited in the morning. Besides worshipping Confucius, they also worship Taoism in that temple. We had chances to see the golden turtle. Is the legend of Hoan Kiem Lake a true story? That question the guests still wonder until now. Before coming back to dinner, the guide took us around the Hanoi Old Quarter with many ancient houses, narrow alley and beautiful structure. The evening food was much better than the lunch as we can try rice, normal food of Hanoian as well as Malay people.

Next morning, we came to the hotel very early to pick up guests to Ho Chi Minh complex as we knew that these days, if we did not come early, we need to wait for a long time, so many tourists came there to visit Uncle Ho (Ho Chi Minh President due to Vietnamese). After 1 hour and a half waiting, we came inside the mausoleum to see our own eyes how Unlce Ho looks like. After that we visit some other places in the complex like the house on stilt, the government house, One pillar pagoda… 

Mausoluem of Ho Chi Minh

The next destination of the morning is the museum of Ethnology with many objects about ethnic group of Vietnam like the houses, the clothes and other tools inside. After the museum, we came to KOTO restaurant to have lunch. KOTO means “Know one teach one”, very meaningful restaurant in Vietnam. At 1:30pm, we drove to Ha Long. It took us 4 hours to drive there and just when we reached Ha Long, checked in the hotel for the guests, we took them for dinner in Ha Long with many delicious sea-foods. In the evening, we took the tourists to the night market in Ha Long for them to choose the souvenir they like and for other kinds of products.

The third day, we took a ship to go around Ha Long, listen to the legend of Ha Long Bay and visited the beautiful caves there: Thien Cung grotto and Wooden Steak cave. These are the most beautiful caves in Ha Long Bay. Inside the cave, there are many stalactites with different shapes of the dolphin, couple of lovers, the eyes of dragon… We also visited the Incense Stick Burner cave in the middle of the bay. Moreover, there was an interesting cave Fighting cocks islands. The shape of that one like two baby cock facing together. The trip ended with the lunch on boat, we can enjoy the view  of the bay while trying our meals with delicious dishes from sea food that we chose and bought from the bay. It was so interesting. The whole afternoon, we drove back to Hanoi to enjoy the water puppet show at 6:30 pm. It is the most attractive kind of art of Vietnam that hardly can anyone pass when coming to Vietnam. The third day ended with the delicious dinner at the hotel.

Memory in HaLong Bay

The next day, we once again drove to Ninh Binh, a province in the south of Hanoi to visit Dinh – Le King Temples. Many interesting and attractive things there, the Kings beds with dragon and phoenix, ther exhibition of the citadel… Lunch in Ninh Binh is different, no more seafood, no more noodles, in Ninh Binh, we tried the goat meat with bare-foot chickens. But it seemed not suitable to the one guest as he has no teeth. It is a pity for him. In the afternoon, we took a sampan in Tam Coc to visit the 3 caves. In the way to the cave, we saw the beautiful picture of Vietnam, the field of rice, it is really impressive. Moreover, we can also receive many pictures without taking. Many of the local people they are very friendly and they helped us do that during the trip in Tam Coc. They were pretty picture for a good memory in Vietnam.

The last day in Hanoi, we had to wake up very early to take the guests to the airport to fly back their country. It was too hard to say goodbye to them. A tour with many memory about Vietnam and Hanoi.

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Vieng Spring Market

SALE “RISK” AND PURCHASE “LUCKINESS” AT VIENG MARKET

Mysteriously, there is a market-day where seller does not need money and buyer does not need goods. It is the Vieng market, only taking place from the afternoon of 7^th January to the early afternoon of next day.

Vieng Market

By a chance, Nam Dinh province, having a unique belief, is about the balance of life. The Tran temple represents to Father of God belief; otherwise, Mother of Goddess is a belief, which embodies at Phu Day temple. If a seal opening ceremony to welcome the New Year is being held at the Tan temple, Phu Day closely attach to the Vieng market, which is on one day per year only. It is a pity if you miss a chance to join the Vieng market with various emotions before taking part in the sacred Tran festival. According to Vietnamese tradition, those who live in other provinces, sometimes go to the Vieng Market after burning an incense to show their respect to King Tran and getting something lucky for the coming year.

You will surprise a huge continuous flow of people who come to join the Vieng market from nearby provinces such as Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh, Hanoi and so on. Melting into a passer-by is everything you need to do so that you entirely enjoy a special ambiance of the unique market and dispel the cold winter.

Products at Vieng Market

Became a tradition of Nam Dinh’ people, the Vieng market was held annually on 8^th January at Nam Giang town, Nam Truc and Vu Ban district. This is a unique market. It is the way to show the belief and cultural activities of agricultural communities in Red river delta. Getting luck in the coming year is the special meaning of the market. People come to the market with hoping for health and wealth. Wishing a good weather in the next year is what Vietnamese farmers desire most in their hard life.       

Votive Paper

According to ancient documents, Vieng is not a specific place-name in Nam Dinh province. It was similarly pronounced like “Going Home” in Vietnamese meaning. The name of the market is a tender way to remind anyone who lives out in the country: Going home on the traditional Tet holiday. It is time to reunite people together again after a hard working year. Vieng market-day together with Tet Holiday – the biggest and most important event with Vietnamese people is time for anyone to get luck and take bad things away. Nowadays, because of the huge influence of the sacred Vieng market and people’s demand, it was held with a bigger scale in Trung Thanh commune, Vu Ban district and Goi town, Nam Trực District.

Buy "risk" - sell "luck"

A long time ago, the old, living at Vieng market’s area, said that it used to be held within a small area and near Phu Giay. There were not many people like nowadays also. Everyone came to the Vieng Market to wish luck only.  They did not care about what they gain and lose, even money and treasured things such as antiques, ect. It was said that it would be betrayal and sorrowful in their mind if they couldnot go to the Vieng Market; however, if you got there without either buy or sale, you would be restless the entire year so much.

Nowadays, there are some typical goods in the market namely, beef, seedlings, decorative tress and something relating to the agricultural life in Vietnam. With all that, the Vieng market is the only, we has left since industry development in Vietnam. Moreover, one more thing, you do not forget enjoying the special method, exchanging product each other with overcharging and bargaining at any market in Vietnam, is a thing you easily see in the market nowadays. You can truly feel a colorful and traditional market-day in ancient time that you are so hard to find out another market in the world. In addition to above traditional products, going to the Vieng market, there are various things so that you choose to make up your family even yourself. Appreciated by gourmets and most of tourists,

It is like a habit of Vietnamese people in general and Nam Dinh’s people in particular, flowers and decorative things are all those who go to the market, bring it home as a special gift happily. Driving out the bad things in the bygone years and hoping for good ones in the New Year are the most important and significant value whenever the Vieng market comes!

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Unique Nam Dinh

Tran Temple festval in Tet Holiday

Tran temple festival in Tet holiday (Nam Dinh province)

Tran Temple festival in Tet holiday or we can call it the "deliver seal festival" is one of the most meaningful custom in Thien Truong district, Nam Dinh province of Vietnamese people during many years. For a long time of development, this festival is still kept remain and develop. This festival first appeared in the 13^th century (1239), under the Tran dynasty, it occurred as a kind of ritual to worship the ancestors. At that time, Thien Truong was not the capital of Vietnam. Because of the Chinese invasion made the whole royal family of Vietnamese move from Thang Long to Thien Truong, therefore, the people call this place "the capital of revolution" to encourage people take part in the fight against Chinese. For some centuries, the festival attracted a lot of people come to worship for luck, health and wealth.

Nowadays, Tran temple festival still attracts many people come, especially in Tet holiday, they come to Tran Temple to ask for the seal. They believe that the seal from this temple can bring them the luck and health for the whole year.

Normally, the ceremony of delivering the seal will have 2 parts: rituals and activities. The main ceremony happens one the full-moon day of the 1^st lunar month of Vietnamese calendar. But before the ceremony happens, in the 2^nd of this month, the manager board of the temple has to do another ceremony to ask the ancestors’ allowance for being able to deliver the seal to people who come on the full-moon day. At 10p.m of 14^th of the 1^st lunar month, the main ceremony begins with the ritual of bringing the seal box. Inside the box, there are two seals with different text: one seal will be: “Tran Temple”, the other is the sentence means “Tran dynasty will bring luck and happiness to everyone”.. 

Red seal in Tran temple

The next ritual on full moon day is made by 14 elderly people of Tu Mac village. The people (tourists) come to this festival will bring the offering into the temple and ask for a piece of paper with a red seal inside with the hope of a better year. 

Lucky paper from Tran temple

After the ritual finishes, it’s time for the activities. There are many interesting activities in that festival like: Cock fighting, wrestling, martial art performance, dragon dancing and many other kinds of performance. All the rituals and activities in that festival still remains the unique culture of Vietnam since Tran dynasty.

Some Tips when visiting Tran temple festival in Tet holiday

As the festival happens at night and it will be very crowded, therefore, these tips will be very helpful when you come to Tran Temple festival.

1. Be careful with your belongings.
2. Find a suitable place for parking your own vehicle.
3. Try to go with the group or you will get lost.
4.  Ask for price before using any kind of services there.
5. Check carefully about the quality of products before deciding.

Phu Giay Festival

Every year, in the spring, many people together come to Nam Dinh province to join the Phu Giay festival. 

Phu Giay ceremony

This festival takes place on 3^rd of the 3^rd lunar month. This is a festival to worship Lieu Hanh Mother, one of the 3 mothers of goddess of Vietnamese people. According to Vietnamese, Hanh Mother is the one who has the power and ability to take care of the sky or we can call her the mother of sky. The habbit of worshipping mother of goddess is very unique and you can only find in Vietnam. Normally, there will be 3 mothers: Mother of Sky, Mother of Mountain and Mother of the Water. And it can be considered that Nam Dinh province is the center of the spiritual life of Northern Vietnam. There are a lot of temples to worship these goddess as well as to worship many Kings in the past of our country. We believe that the third lunar month is time for celebrating the Death ceremony of our national mother, the eight lunar month is the time for celebrating the Death ceremony of our national father. Therefore, on 3^rd of 3^rd lunar month, many people come to Nam Dinh province, especially Vu Ban district to join in this ceremony.

Offering in Phu Giay festival

According to some legends and stories related to Hanh Mother, she was a fairy in Heaven, named Quynh Hoa Princess, she was the daughter of Jade emperor, because of breaking a cup made from pearl, she was forced to come to the Earth for 21 years to help people who were in troubles. When she came to Earth, wherever she went, she helped the people there to overcome troubles. So, many people decided to build up temples to memorise her contributions. After she died and come back to Heaven, she still tried to help people. That the reason why she was considered to be the national mother as well as one of the 4 immortality gods of Vietnam.

Hanh Mother

This festival lasts for many days. The most attractive activities in Phu Giay is the ceremony of bringing the palaquin of Mother to the main temple.

Palaquin Ceremony

The way is not too far, just about 1 km walk but it is always covered with a lot of people. In the ceremony, there will have traditional singings with the flags performance of 100 teenagers in uniform with red ribbons, yellow coats, green bells white trousers and red socks. Each of them will hold a 2 meter high stick and they will perform due to the drum rhythm.

Flag-men

moreover, tourists still have chances to see many other kinds of activities like dragon dancing, paraquin holding in Tien Huong Mountain. At night, tourists can go out and enjoy a very famous kind of traditional singing: Chau Van singing. Coming to Phu Giay, you can know more about the tradition of Vietnam as well as the spiritual custom in Tet Holiday.

Some Tips in Phu Giay festival:

1. Bring money with small value as offering
2. If you  need to exchange money, be careful with Vietnamese fake money use for the death (Votive paper)
3. Go with your group to avoid getting lost
4. Check carefully the quality of products you want to buy.

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