The Thap Dinh Festival is a traditional festival of 10 villages in the Thien Thai mountain area (Gia Binh district, Bac Ninh province) that has existed for a long time and has been maintained and passed down through the centuries to this day.
The festival is a typical community cultural and spiritual activity expressing gratitude and remembrance for General Doan Cong - Dao Nuong - a couple who were both famous generals of the Trung Sisters and Grand Tutor Le Van Thinh - Doctor, valedictorian of the first examination to select talented people in Vietnamese history during the Ly Dynasty (1075).
According to tradition, on the 6th day of the 2nd lunar month of the years of Monkey, Rat, and Dragon, people from 10 villages including "inner five communal houses" and "outer five communal houses" jubilantly open the Ten Communal House Festival and organize a large-scale procession.
“Ngu Dinh Noi” is the communal house of 5 villages worshiping Doan Cong - Dao Nuong and Grand Tutor Le Van Thinh including: Bao Thap, Yen Viet, Dong Cao, Hiep Son, Huong Vinh. These are the villages gathered around Thien Thai mountain.
“Ngu Dinh Ngoai” is the communal house of 5 villages worshiping Doan Cong - Dao Nuong, or worshiping Grand Tutor Le Van Thinh as Thanh Hoang, including: Hue Dong, Dich Trung worshiping Doan Cong - Dao Nuong; Chi Nhi communal house worshiping Le Van Thinh because he was the one who opened a school to educate the villagers; Phu Ninh communal house (Gia Binh town) worshiping Grand Tutor Le Van Thinh; Thi Xa communal house (also called Van Xa, belonging to Cach Bi, Que Vo) is the hometown of Le Van Thinh's mother.
Research on Bac Ninh festival by the late Dr. Tran Dinh Luyen shows: In Thap Dinh, Bao Thap village is where General Doan Cong and Dao Nuong resided and recruited soldiers to revolt and is also the hometown of Grand Tutor Le Van Thinh. Therefore, Bao Thap village is responsible for presiding over the purchase of offerings and playing the role of chief celebrant.
The Bao Thap communal house area is also the central space of the Thap Dinh festival. On the main festival day, February 6th of the lunar calendar, there will be a grand procession organized by 10 villages, marching to Bao Thap communal house - Dinh Ca to perform a communal ceremony.
Bao Thap village organizes a palanquin procession to the village entrance to welcome the villages in "Ten Dinh". Other villages follow the road and river to Dinh Ca.
The procession with the participation of thousands of people in splendid traditional costumes returned at the same time, the whole area was covered with colorful flags, umbrellas, palanquins, swords, and fans, while the sound of drums and gongs echoed throughout the Thien Thai mountains and rivers.
On the main day of the Thap Dinh festival, including 10 villages in Gia Binh district (Bac Ninh province), the entire Thien Thai mountain and river region is filled with the sound of drums and gongs, and colorful flags and umbrellas... (documentary photo).
In the past, the Thap Dinh festival lasted until February 10th. Along with the solemn procession and ceremony, the festival had many cultural and sports activities held at the festival center of Bao Thap village and Thap Dinh villages such as wrestling, swinging, burning cotton trees, human chess, swinging trees, singing cheo, singing ca tru, performing tuong...
Later, not only 10 villages of Thap Dinh participated in the festival but also the following villages: Noi Phu (Gia Binh town), Nghia Thang (Dong Cuu), Trac Nhiet (Que Vo) - where the mother of Grand Tutor Le Van Thinh passed away, Dinh To village (Thuan Thanh) - the resting place of Grand Tutor Le Van Thinh on his way back to his hometown and Ich Phu village (Song Giang commune).
The Ten Dinh Spring Festival of Giap Thin 2024 is organized at the district level to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the re-establishment of Gia Binh district; the 30th anniversary of Le Van Thinh temple being recognized as a national historical and cultural relic; the 20th anniversary of Bao Thap communal house and the 10th anniversary of Doan Cong - Dao Nuong temple being ranked as a provincial historical and cultural relic.
Mr. Nguyen Hong Phuc, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Gia Binh district (Bac Ninh province) said: This year, the Thap Dinh festival takes place from March 14 to 16 (ie from February 5 to 7 of the lunar calendar), including the ceremony and the festival.
The ceremony includes a bathing ceremony and a ritual of carrying the incense burner to the naturalization ceremony at Bao Thap communal house. On the main festival day, February 6, there is a palanquin procession from 10 villages with more than 1,000 participants.
The festival includes sports, cultural and artistic exchange activities such as: Quan Ho singing, Cheo performance, friendly football matches, volleyball, badminton, tug of war... and many unique folk games.
People and tourists attending the Thap Dinh festival, after offering incense, flowers and offerings to the saints at Bao Thap communal house, will visit Thien Thu pagoda and Doan Cong temple to learn about the history and noble human values of talented and virtuous predecessors who have made great contributions to the country and the people.
In particular, a relic that tourists cannot miss is the temple of Grand Tutor Le Van Thinh, which is preserving the national treasure "Stone Dragon". Coming here, visitors can learn about the background, life, and career of the famous mandarin of the Ly Dynasty.
He was an exemplary and virtuous teacher of Dai Viet and an outstanding diplomat, a prominent cultural figure with the talent to govern the country, a great political and economic reformer who brought the country to prosperity and development.
The name of Grand Tutor Le Van Thinh is engraved on the golden board and stone stele, becoming a source of pride in the history of our country's imperial examinations. His contributions were recognized by dynasties, passed down in royal decrees, genealogies and in the spiritual life of the people.
Many places built temples to worship him and honored him as the village's tutelary god. Many streets and schools were honored to be named after Le Van Thinh.
In a scientific conference on festival heritage at the end of 2020, Dr. Nguyen Huu Mui (Institute of Han Nom Studies) assessed: Festivals in Vietnam in general, and in Bac Ninh in particular, have a long history with many different forms and characteristics, contributing to building the cultural identity of the Vietnamese people.
However, most of the festivals taking place across the country are to honor gods or tutelary gods who are generals. What is special about the Thap Dinh festival is that besides the generals, there is also Grand Tutor Le Van Thinh, the first scholar of our country, who was worshiped by the people of Bac Ninh as tutelary gods and held a festival to show gratitude.
He is a vivid example of a great intellectual of the nation, who made many contributions to the country during the Ly Dynasty. Therefore, the Thap Dinh festival is also a meaningful activity in the cause of promoting learning and talent of the people of Bac Ninh - a cultural homeland with a rich tradition of learning and examinations, famous throughout the country.
Source: https://danviet.vn/10-lang-vung-nui-thien-thai-o-bac-ninh-to-chuc-le-hoi-ton-vinh-nha-khoa-bang-dau-tien-cua-viet-nam-20240626200909985.htm
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