Numerous visitors have returned to Con Son – Kiep Bac many times because of the sacredness of the two relic sites and the joys they found from this traditional festival.
Battle Reenactment Festival on Luc Dau river, the highlight of Con Son – Kiep Bac Autumn Festival
Many travel companies at home and abroad until lunar every August will add Con Son – Kiep Bac festival (Chi Linh, Hai Duong) to their tour schedules.
The festival’s attraction firstly lies in the sacredness of the two relic sites associated with two national heroes, namely Tran Hung Dao and Nguyen Trai. Tourists arrive there to offer incense to commemorate the predecessors and pray for the best for themselves and their family.
Trinh Thi Ha in Nguyen Trai ward (Hai Duong city) said she had attended all annual spring and autumn festivals for the last 10 years. As an aged person, she often came on the first days of the festivals, not days off, to avoid overcrowding.
“Actually, I still have to jostle against other people when coming on weekdays. However, only after going to temple will I find peace of mind when returning home,” Ha excitedly said as carrying the offerings out of the temple gate.
She added that she would ask her descendants to take her to the Ceremony of praying for peace and Festival of flower garlands and colored lanterns, which are sacred rites with benevolence beauty, on the evening of lunar August 18.
Tran Duc Anh (Chu town, Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang) had a day off to take his wife to temple before the main festival.
“My friends and I will come here early next Saturday to watch the Procession Ceremony and Battle Reenactment Festival on Luc Dau river. We will only travel for pleasure on that day for having already made offerings today. I found the Battle Reenactment Festival quite spectacular and unique as watching it last year, so this year I will bring some people along for recreation,” said Duc Anh.
Pilgrims attend the 2012 Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival
Folk art performances often attract crowded viewers.
A water puppet stage set up in the middle of the lake next to Kiep Bac temple was surrounded by audience although items were performed under the sun without any canopies for the viewers. Peals of applauding laughter for an interesting anecdote made artists forget the tiredness of soaking themselves in the water for the performance.
Participating in the festival this year were three water puppet troupes from the communes of Thanh Hai (Thanh Ha), Hong Phong (Ninh Giang), and Le Loi (Gia Loc), helping the performance program richer and more attractive to viewers because all of the troupes tried to bring their best items to the festival.
Hundred thousands of people have not minded the long way to visit and return to Con Son – Kiep Bac many times because of both the sacredness of the two relic sites and the joys they found from this traditional festival.
People in Hung Dao commune and Cong Hoa ward always participate in such sacred rites as proclamation at Kiep Bac temple to ask to open the temple gate and hold the autumn festival; procession and commemoration of the death anniversary of National Hero Tran Hung Dao; incense offering at Nam Tao and Bac Dau temples; procession and incense offering to commemorate the 571st death anniversary of National Hero and World Cultural Celebrity Nguyen Trai, etc.
The locals keep playing an important role in performing the rites, doing jobs that their ancestors used to do for generations and transmitted to them.
Offering teams of hamlets are unanimous in the ways to sacrifice, process, and offer incense and in every festive season, the locals will be thrilled and excited seeing their hamlet’s offering and procession teams participate in and create the impressiveness and solemnity for the rites.
Water puppet, boat race, and Battle Reenactment Festival on Luc Dau river are performances held in wide and open spaces to serve numerous visitors. All of them are filled with traditional folk flavors, making viewers cannot help feeling wistful as knowing that their forefathers hundreds years ago also watched anecdotes, performances, and races on the water like these.
Attending the Con Son – Kiep Bac Autumn Festival, visitors always feel warm because the festival is held towards the people.
VIET HOA
