An Duong Vuong Temple Festival

An Duong Vuong Temple is located in Co Loa village, Đong Anh district, Hanoi. It is on the way to Phuc Yên and about 17 km from the center of Hanoi. It associated with the story of An Duong Vuong, Au Lac and last State of Hung Vuong.

Located on this land is Ngu Trieu Di Quy communal house which is believed to be where the Thuc King held court. Am Ba Chua is the place where people worship the lovely daughter of the Thuc King, princess My Chau. We can now see a headless statue there, which is a vestige of the country lost by My Chau. She was so honest and credulous that she was trapped in a scheme by the enemy.

On the afternoon of the 5th day of the first lunar month, all of the eight communes (including Co Loa Commune and the establishing relations between seven communes) hold the incense offering ceremony at the communal house. On the 6th day of the first lunar month every year, people  organize a festival  which lasts for 10 days. 

So, Vietnamese people have proverb: "Forget child, forget grandchildren, don't forget the 6th day of the first lunar month."

Thuong Temple is where the ceremony is performed with five-colour flags, a couple of pink horses and a couple of white horses on the two sides, the left and the right. Their harnesses are decorated with phoenix motifs and beautiful gold thread embroideries. In the center of the altar with an incense table is placed and loaded with the offerings, a glass box containing a pair of mandarin's boots and the King's weapons. Votive offerings include incense, flowers, truncated cone-shaped cakes made of sticky rice, fruits, steamed sticky rice, meat, giay cakes and popcorn.

Then, people of the 12 hamlets march around the Trong Thuy well and then go back to the Ngu Trieu communal house where only the palanquin of Co Loa is kept.

An Duong Vuong Temple Festival has many other fun activities. Evening in the village is burning fireworks, ca tru singing, singing classical opera. By day, he played all the instruments, chess. The old lady went home ceremony temple ceremony. Male and female adolescents have the game:swinging, wrestling, tug, rope climbing, archery it, people, rice blowing contest, cock fighting, type the original meter ... 

On the final day of the festival, a grand farewell ceremony will be held at the temple. The rituals are the same as in the main festival day. After the rituals, the cult table of god will be returned to the sanctuary. Local people enjoy the god's favour and expect a year of prosperity and protection from the god.