Dong Da Festival in memory of King Quang Trung

Dong Da Festival in memory of King Quang Trung

Two centuries ago, Dong Da was a battlefield where Quang Trung (Nguyen Hue), a Tay Son farmer who later became a National Hero defeated more than 200,000 soldiers of the Qing invaders. Dong Da Hill became a glorious historical site of the Vietnamese nation.

Ever since, on the 5th of the first lunar month, Ha Noi people hold a festival to celebrate this historic victory.
 
A procession for the historical event's celebration commences at Khuong Thuong and ends at Dong Da Hill, which is decorated with flags and burnt incense. A grand sacrifice - offering ceremony is conducted after daybreak.
 
The procession includes flags, a processional parasol, palanquins with a variety of colours, and the sounds of gongs and drums. The whole procession participants walk and sometimes dance to the rhythmic accompaniment of castanets. A group of young people, dressed in martial suit, then go around and perform a play that recounts the whole period of the war.
 
The most special part of the procession is the Fire Dragon which is decorated with straw, cataphyll, and coarse paper.
 
When the procession comes to the Dong Da Hill, there is a solemn ceremony during which someone reads the story of the victory of Ky Dau praising the military genius of the national hero, Quang Trung.
 
There are also various games, and competitions such as: wrestling, the swing, cock fighting... that challenge the skill and intelligence of the participants on the wide field in front of the hill.

Here are some images to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the Ngoc Hoi-Dong Da victory:

By Vien Nhu