The Hat Mon Temple Festival opened in Phuc Tho district in Ha Noi on April 12 to celebrate the 1,976th anniversary of an uprising against Chinese invaders led by national heroines Hai Ba Trung, also known as the two Trung sisters.
Trays of ‘banh troi’ (floating cake) offered to the Trung sisters at the festival
The Phuc Tho district People’s Committee also held a ceremony on the occasion to receive a certificate honouring the festival as a national intangible cultural heritage.
The opening day featured a banh troi (floating cake) offering, folk songs and dances, among other activities.
According to historical accounts, in 40 AD, Trung Trac and her younger sister Trung Nhi formed an army to revolt against the Han Chinese troops that were invading the north and gain independence for the country after more than two centuries of foreign feudal domination.
The Hat Mon temple was built after the Trung sisters’ death to commemorate their devotion to the nation. The temple was recognised as a special national site in 2013 by the Prime Minister of Viet Nam.
The Hat Mon temple festival is held on the sixth day of the first lunar month annually, the day that the uprising began.