Authorities in the central province of Thanh Hoa will organise a festival dedicated to local heroes who lived more than 600 years ago.
Artists dance at Lam Kinh Festival last year
The festival, from September 29 to October 2, aims to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the Lam Son Uprising, the 590th anniversary of King Le Thai To’s coronation and the 585th anniversary of national hero Le Loi’s death.
The worship ceremonies will be held at King Le Thai To’s mausoleum, Le Lai’s Temple, the Temple of the Later Le Dynasty and the statue of Le Loi in the centre of Thanh Hoa City on September 29 and 30.
An anniverary ceremony will be held on October 1 at the ancient courtyard inside the Lam Kinh Historic Site Complex. The ceremony will include a palanquin procession and a traditional-style worship ceremony.
The event also will host art shows under the theme Long Lived Lam Son Spirit, which features the tradition of fighting against Chinese Ming invaders to protect the country’s sovereignty, folk music and games.
The event will be live broadcast on VTV1 channel and the channel of Thanh Hoa Television & Radio.
During the festival, the city will host various cultural, sport and tourism activities like a fair of Le family businesses; a contest on studying the traditions of the Le Family; an art contest among Le descendants; a conference on Hero Le Loi and the Thanh Hoa people in the beginning of the Lam Son Uprising and a table tennis tournament.
Lam Kinh has been known in historical documents as a land associated with the career of national hero Le Loi, the leader of the Lam Son Uprising over 10 years against the northern invaders (1418-1428).
After gaining independence for the country, Le Loi stepped into the crown as King Le Thai To. Under his reign (1428-1433) the country was wealthy and prosperous. He directed locals to build Lam Kinh as the second royal citadel of the Le reign in his homeland.
According to Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu (The Great Annals of Dai Viet), the King passed away on the 22nd day of the eighth lunar month. People then took that day to hold an annual festival to remind descendants of the heroic tradition of the nation and remember ancestors.
The festival starts one day earlier as when he was alive, the King told his descendants to make a worship ceremony dedicated to Le Lai on a day earlier to his own death anniversary.
Le Lai was the King’s loyal general, who sacrificed his life to save Le Loi so he could escape from the Ming invaders’ siege in during a battle.