Highlights of the Ky Yen Festival

A large number of people from Tien Chau participated in the procession carrying the royal decree from the house of the chief official Nguyen Dinh Tuan to the village communal house in Hoi An. Photo: DIEM LE

From 6 a.m. on March 8th, the people gathered in large numbers at the communal house in Hoi An (Hoi An village, Tien Chau commune). The procession consisted of about 150 people, including young men carrying slanted flags, square flags, and weapons; and young women in traditional ao dai dresses and headscarves carrying flowers.

Four young men were chosen to carry the palanquin carrying the sacred decree. Following them were representatives from the six factions of Hoi An village and various members of the community, from elders to women and young children.

Students from Tien Chau commune beam with joy at the village festival. Photo: DIEM LE

The procession carried the sacred edict in a palanquin to the house of the village chief, Nguyen Dinh Tuan, to bring it back to the communal house in Hoi An. When the edict arrived in the village, the main Kỳ Yên ceremony officially began in the grounds of the communal house in Hoi An, witnessed by a large number of locals and tourists.

The ceremonial parts were conducted solemnly, demonstrating the reverence of the people for the village's guardian deities and the pioneers who established the village, so that today's generations of descendants will remember their roots and ancestors, and preserve the unique cultural heritage left by their forefathers.

The ritual of bringing the sacred relics to the village temple in Hoi An. Photo: DIEM LE

The royal decree is solemnly placed on the altar of the village's founding ancestors in the communal house of Hoi An. Photo: DIEM LE

The village elders perform the main sacrificial ceremony in the main hall of Hoi An village temple. Photo: DIEM LE

The ritual of presenting the royal decree during the main ceremony. Photo: DIEM LE

Outside the communal house, the people of Tien Chau solemnly and respectfully await the ceremony of offering incense to the village's ancestors. Photo: DIEM LE

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/dac-sac-le-hoi-ky-yen-3150224.html