Ky Cung - Ta Phu temple festival

Ky Cung - Ta Phu Temple Festival: A cultural meeting point in Lang Land Ky Cung - Ta Phu Temple Festival is the largest festival in Lang Son province. Every year, on the occasion of the festival, from January 22 - 27, tens of thousands of people from all localities of the province and domestic and foreign tourists come to Lang Son city - Hoa Dao city to participate in unique cultural activities, joining in the flow of people going to festivals and traveling in Spring. Therefore, the Ky Cung - Ta Phu temple festival is considered a cultural meeting point in Xu Lang... This year's festival takes place with many attractive cultural, artistic, physical and sports activities, imbued with the cultural identity of the ethnic people of Xu Lang. During the festival's activities, the palanquin procession and fireworks taking place on two days, the 22nd and 27th of the first lunar month, are quite unique, attracting tens of thousands of followers and participants. On January 22, right at the hour of the Horse, the procession of a palanquin placing the large Tuan Tranh incense bowl from Ky Cung temple (Vinh Trai ward) to Ta Phu temple (Hoang Van Thu ward) was carried out solemnly. On January 27, the great mandarin Tuan Tranh is brought back to Ky Cung temple. Participants carrying the palanquin are healthy young people, carefully selected from wards and communes. The palanquin procession passing through the central streets of Lang Son city creates a bustling, fun, and exciting atmosphere among the people and tourists. At intersections and crossroads, the procession rotates the palanquin in a circle combined with fireworks displays, making everyone excited and watching. Although the distance from Ky Cung temple to Ta Phu temple and vice versa is just over 2 km each way, the palanquin procession has to travel more than 2 hours to reach its destination because teams of lions, monks, and dragons dance while walking with the desire to bring good luck and good things to people and tourists. Joining the palanquin procession, there are people and tourists who have to move step by step, but everyone is excited and happy to follow. Along both sides of the road, the palanquin procession passed, many families were preparing a ceremony table with full offerings, notably including a large, golden, fragrant roasted pig. According to people, this is an offering to ancestors to pray for peace, fortune, and luck in the new year. The highlight of the Ky Cung - Ta Phu festival is the fireworks display, taking place in the area in front of Ta Phu temple on March 7 (January 27). The firecracker head is hung on a bamboo tree about 15m high. Inside the firecracker head, the Festival Organizing Committee places a small, light metal ring connected to the firecracker head and two slow-burning firecracker wires hanging close to the ground. When the firecracker is lit, the tip of the firecracker explodes and the metal ring flies into the air, everyone waits for the metal ring to fall to pick it up. Whoever gets the cannon head will have a lot of fortune and luck. Therefore, this is also an event that many people are eagerly waiting for, wanting to try their luck at the beginning of the year... The Ky Cung - Ta Phu temple festival is imbued with the traditional culture of the people of Lang Son ethnic groups, expressing gratitude and commemorating the great contributions of two mandarins who contributed to building and developing the country in general and Lang in particular in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, namely Ta Admiral Han, Duke Than Cong Tai (general of the post-Le period, 17th century, worshiped at Ta Phu temple) and great mandarin Tuan Tranh. (during the reign of King Hung Vuong XVIII, worshiped at Ky Cung temple).