The annual Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival will take place from September 19 to 29 in the northern province of Hai Duong with assorted activities to honour the Tran dynasty’s (1225 -1400) contributions to the national defence.
One of the highlights of the Con Son – Kiep Bac Autumn Festival is the boat race on Luc Dau river
The opening event is the Cao Yet ceremony to ask for permission to open the Kiep Bac temple and kick start the festival, followed with traditional worshipping rituals, folklore practices, and arts performances.
Notable rituals among them include a Buddha worshipping ceremony, incense offering ceremonies to commemorate national heroes Tran Hung Dao (1228-1300) and Nguyen Trai (1380-1442), a walking procession, a seal opening ceremony, and a ritual to pray for peace.
There will also be cultural and arts activities, such as a boat race, water puppetry performances, and a night festival to release coloured lanterns on Luc Dau River.
One of the hotly anticipated events of the festival is a boat race re-enacting the historical event when the General Tran Hung Dao lined up his troops and warships on the Luc Dau River to defeat Mongolian invaders in the 13th century.