Yen The Festival

Yen The Festival Yen The Festival originated from the harvest festival in Phon Xuong. Since ancient times, residents of Trung village, Trung hamlet, Che hamlet and Dong Nhan hamlet often organize this festival at Phon Xuong communal house and temple, in Cau Go town and Phon Xuong commune, Yen The district, Bac Giang province at the end of August and early September (lunar calendar). During the Yen The uprising, Hoang Hoa Tham (also known as De Tham) - the leader of the uprising, changed the schedule of this festival to the middle of January. After the Yen The uprising failed, Phon Xuong festival was no longer held with the same scale and performance as before. Instead, Phon Xuong people often hold festivals on January 5 (the death anniversary of Hoang Hoa Tham) to commemorate the national hero. In 1984, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Yen The uprising, He Bac province decided to organize the Phon Xuong Festival on March 15, 16 and 17 every year and named it Yen The Festival. The festival schedule is as follows: On the morning of March 16, the main festival, the government and people held the opening ceremony, welcoming a team of horses from Ha village to Phon Xuong, followed by a parade of forces throughout the district and an incense offering to commemorate the national hero Hoang Hoa Tham and the martyrs who participated in the uprising. The procession of Phon Xuong commune carries the incense pot from Leo pagoda to the festival area. Leading the group is the lion dance group, the monk throws the five-element flag, behind is the palanquin, on the palanquin is placed a tray of gac raspberries and boiled pig's head. The palanquin is carried by four young men, on both sides there are two people wearing ashlars and parasols, behind them are the elderly people in traditional clothes, and finally the people of the commune, dressed neatly, enter the ceremony. The participants carrying the palanquin, flags, canopies, and parasols all wore red shirts and red scarves on their heads. The whole procession carried the spirit and solemnly into the ceremony platform. The palanquin was placed in front of the left side of the monument. Participating in the procession of Cau Go town's alms bowl procession include 8 newlyweds selected by the town's people, dressed in traditional clothes and red turbans. A tray of five fruits and sticky rice are placed on the palanquin. When the auspicious hour arrived, the whole group began to move towards the central hall. At the head of the procession is a team of lion dancers and monks, with clowns and cheetahs dancing to the beat of the drums, followed by the five-element flag, followed by 10 young men, dressed in traditional clothes, with red scarves on their heads, holding precious bowls in their hands, walking in two rows, behind is a palanquin. Walking on both sides of the palanquin are two people holding umbrellas, followed by the elderly men in ceremonial clothes and shoes, then the elderly women in yellow clothes, and finally the departments, branches, unions and people in the town. The palanquin of Cau Go town is placed on the right side of the monument. Two palanquins from Cau Go town and Phon Xuong commune stand majestically on both sides of the monument, below are delegations and guests from all over who come to attend the festival, lined up solemnly, in front of the Hoang Hoa Tham monument. At exactly 8 o'clock, the ceremony began. The leader (province/district) on behalf of the Organizing Committee read the opening speech, reviewing the heroic traditions of the Yen The insurgent army. After the opening speech, there were three rounds of gongs and drums. Next, the Bac Giang Cheo Art Troupe reenacted the old flag offering ceremony of the De Tham insurgent army. After the solemn flag offering ceremony, delegations from the province, district, communes, people and visitors took turns offering incense in front of the monument. When the opening ceremony ended, at Phon Xuong station (in Ba Ba temple), people prepared offerings to sacrifice the souls of the insurgents. The offerings include 5 trays full of chicken, banh day, rice balls, banh gio, che lam, sticky rice, boiled pork belly, lettuce, 6 small bowls, 6 pairs of chopsticks, wine, square banh chung, white salt, sesame salt. After the formal ceremonies, the folk performances in the festival are very exciting and lively and attract a large number of community and tourists to participate: teenagers and students participate in camping, martial arts performances, shooting competitions, crossbow archery, human chess competitions, swings, wrestling, volleyball, football, competitions to learn about the Yen The uprising,... mass art troupes perform, and screen movies about De Tham and the Yen The uprising. Yen The Festival has encouraged the spirit of the people of Yen The in particular, and the people of Bac Giang in general, to look towards the national hero and martyrs, to pray for good things for the family, society, etc. The festival has become a spiritual dish, indispensable for the residents here and is an intangible cultural heritage that is representative, expressing the identity of the ethnic community of Yen The district, which is: the spirit of solidarity, martial arts, indomitableness, and love. water, love for peace,... Yen The Festival also reflects cultural diversity and human creativity, expressed in Vietnamese rituals, unique folk games of the Tay and Nung people,... which are continuously inherited and promoted in life. Currently, Yen The Festival has become a big festival, familiar to the people of Yen The district in particular and the people of Bac Giang in general. Yen The Festival is a big festival, associated with Yen The Uprising Sites - a special national monument. On December 27, 2013, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism decided to include Yen The Festival in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List, type of Traditional Festival./.