Dinh Lan Dinh festival

Every year, from the 10th to the 20th of the sixth lunar month, the Quan Lan festival takes place at Van Don port to bring a vibrant atmosphere and a local culture. Local people said the festival was an opportunity to commemorate the victory over the Mong army of Tran Khanh Du in 1288. At the same time, this is also an important time of the year, when people hope for the advantage of the weather for the upcoming crop.

Tourists coming to Quan Lan tourism and participating in the Quan Lan beach experience during the festival will have the opportunity to participate in special activities such as boat racing, a traditional culture of Van Don people. On June 18 of the lunar calendar every year, the village festival took place at Quan Lan communal house, one of the ancient communal houses built from about 1890-1900. This is the place to worship Ly Anh Tong and the gods considered the protection of the village and the island.

According to the traditional customs of the people of Quan Lan, June 10 is considered the day of the village, that is, on this day people are not allowed to leave the island, except for special cases such as people working far away to visit the island or tourists participating in the Quan Lan beach program to attend the festival. In the festival at Quan Lan communal house, one of the important rituals is the custom of racing. The racing boats usually have a tonnage of 5 to 6 tons and are decorated with the image of the dragon head at the bow of the boat. People in the village will be divided into two sides to emulate in this boat race. On the 10th day of the lunar calendar is known as the village's day, when the village's lock flag is hung and the troop drum rang, the signal shows the solidarity against foreign invaders. From this day, the islanders are not allowed to leave the village, creating the spirit of solidarity and security for Quan Lan village. The days from 12 to 15 of the lunar calendar are exciting days with activities such as military training and sacrifices at the Gieng Pagoda.

On the 16th of the lunar calendar, the procession took place at the temple of Hue Hue Vuong Tran Khanh Du, attracting the participation of martial arts generals and Buddhist monks and nuns everywhere. Everyone expressed their sincerity when bringing Chan Linh, General Tran Khanh Du returned to the communal house. On June 17 of the lunar calendar, the generals built a camp and planned to fight. In the evening, there will be many cultural and artistic activities.

On June 18 of the lunar calendar, from 2am, the whole village gathered to hear the drums. In the morning, cultural activities and folk games take place vigorously under the guidance of the generals. In the afternoon of June 18, the lunar calendar is a swimming competition, which is considered the focus of the festival. The two teams played to find the winner, bringing the joy and welcome of the villagers.

The Quan Lan festival is not only an opportunity to commemorate and honor the tradition of fighting foreign invaders, but also an opportunity to explore the unique culture of Van Don Island people. This is an important occasion for people to converge, cohesive and share joy in their homeland.