Traditional festivals listed national intangible cultural heritage

Festivals at the Va temple and Hat Mon temple in the capital city of Ha Noi have been named as part of the country’s intangible cultural heritage, Ha Noi Moi newspaper reports.

The Va festival is organised in autumn and spring every year at the Va temple in Trung Hung commune, Son Tay suburban district. It honours the god of Tan Vien Mountain known as Son Tinh, who is respected as one of the immortals in Viet Nam’s folk tale.

The Hat Mon festival at the Hat Mon Temple in Hat Mon commune, Phuc Tho suburban district commemorates the contributions to the nation by the two national heroines, known as the Trung sisters.

The two sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, led their troops on elephant back to repel Chinese invaders for three years. The victory brought the liberation for Dai Viet (an old name for Viet Nam) after 247 years of Chinese domination.

Besides the two festivals, an additional 13 heritages were also listed as National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Decision 246/QD-BVHTTDL.