Festivals in Phu Tho - Vietnam

Hung Hai Cong and three Royal Highest mandarins who had merit of helping people control floods, Princess Que Hoa. Characteristics:Praying for water ceremony, after worshipping take trai down and race boat at night

Festivals in Phu Tho - Vietnam

Dao Xa Festival
Time: 9th day of the seventh lunar month. 
Place:Dao Xa Commune, Thanh Thuy District, Phu Tho Province.
Objects of worship:Hung Hai Cong and three Royal Highest mandarins who had merit of helping people control floods, Princess Que Hoa.
Characteristics:Praying for water ceremony, after worshipping take trai down and race boat at night.      

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Gia Thanh Festival
Time: 2nd to the 3rd day of the first lunar month. 
Place: Gia Thanh Commune, Phu Ninh District, Phu Tho Province. 
Characteristics: Praying for giving son, making sacrifice to the God, offering banquet with 12 glutinous rice cakes (banh chung), 12 daycakes, steamed momordica glutinous rice (xoi gac).      

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Ha Thach Festival
Time: 10th day of the tenth lunar month.
Place: Ha Thach Commune, Phu Tho Town, Phu Tho Province.
Objects of worship: Hung Kings, Saint Tan Vien, Chu Dong Tu, Hai Ba Trung, and Water genie.
Characteristics: Three Thuong, Ha, Trung Hamlets carry palanquin procession to Ca Communal House then make grand sacrifices-offering ceremony, rong ran dance (one by one follows the leader), ha dienceremony (worship the Agriculture genie before cultivating), trai racing.     

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Hien Quan Phet Festival
Time: 13th day of the first lunar month.
Place: Hien Quan Commune, Tam Nong District, Phu Tho Province.
Objects of worship: Madam Thieu Hoa (Woman General of Hai Ba Trung).
Characteristics: phet playing (play wood ball by a stick with curved head).      

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Hung Temple Festival
Time: The 8th to the 11th day of the third lunar month, main festival day on the 10th day of the third lunar month. 
Place: Nghia Linh Mountain, Hy Cuong Commune, Viet Tri City, Phu Tho Province.
Objects of worship: Kings Hung.
Characteristics: This is the ancestors' death anniversary of the whole nation. At the same time with incense-offering ceremony at Hung Temple in Phu Tho Province, sacrifice-offering ceremonies at Hung Temple in Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and other provinces are aslo celebrated.
Legend: 18 generations of Kings Hung established Van Lang State, the predecessor of the present - day Vietnam. 
Main activities:
- The procession of 3 local communes from the communal houses to the foot of the mountain.
- The incense offering ceremony.
- Xoan singing, bronze drum dancing      

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Phu Ninh Buffalo Fighting Festival
Time: 12st day of the second lunar month.
Place: Phu Ninh Commune, Phu Ninh District, Phu Tho Province.
Objects of worship: Hung King and his generals, the village's tutelary god.
Characteristics: Buffalo fighting performance to commemorate Hung King. According to the old tale, Hung King went for hunting to pass this area, he already killed two tigers that were fighting.      

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Vu Lao Festival
Time: 10th day of the first lunar month.
Place: Vo Lao Commune, Thanh Ba District, Phu Tho Province.
Objects of worship: Agriculture Spirit, Mountain Spirit, Water Spirit and Buddha
Characteristics: day cakes and nang cakes offering in commemorating the place where Hung King lived and chose the son-in-law. Princesses made various kinds of cake to offer their father. Big and round daycakes symbolize for the Sky; uot cakes with pyramid-shaped symbolize for labour force; nang cakes with yellow colour symbolize for pearls and gem.