Highlights of the 2024 Xuan Pha Festival

On March 19th (the 10th day of the 2nd lunar month of the Year of the Dragon), the 2024 traditional festival of Xuan Pha village was held in Xuan Truong commune, Tho Xuan district.

Delegates offer incense at the festival.

The Xuan Pha Village Festival has a long history. It is considered an annual traditional cultural event for the villagers, featuring unique folk performances and games such as: the Ancestor Worship Ceremony, the Procession of Literary Texts, the Procession of Sacred Decrees, the Procession of Holy Cards, the Ceremony of Worshipping the Village Guardian Deity, tug-of-war, etc. Traditionally, the Xuan Pha Festival begins on the 9th day of the 2nd lunar month.

The Xuan Pha Village Festival commemorates the merits of the village's tutelary deity, Dai Hai Long Vuong Hoang Lang, who helped King Dinh Tien Hoang quell the rebellion of the 12 warlords. Considered an annual traditional cultural event, the festival includes main activities such as: processions of sacred texts, royal decrees, palanquins, offerings, traditional rituals, tug-of-war competitions, and five traditional Xuan Pha dances, as well as tug-of-war competitions between cultural villages.

The highlight of the festival is the Xuân Phả dance competition featuring 6 villages with 5 distinctive folk dances called "Ngũ quốc lân bang đồ tiến cống" (Five neighboring countries offering tribute), including: Chiêm Thành, Ai Lao, Ngô Quốc, Hoa Lang, and Lục Hồn Nhung (also known as Tú Huần), which mimic the tribes and neighboring countries bringing tribute to King Đinh.

The props for the performances are mostly made from readily available materials such as bamboo, rattan, vông wood, and fig tree roots. The characters participating in the performances are dressed in colorful costumes, with red, blue, and yellow as the main colors. The props are attractive, including elephant, tiger, horse, and unicorn costumes, masks, cowhide hats, woven hats, large swords, boat oars, and racing flags. The musical instruments used in the Xuân Phả dances are drums, gongs, wooden clappers, or bamboo cymbals, creating extremely cheerful sounds.

The Xuan Pha folk performance was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in September 2016. The festival is a source of pride for the people of Xuan Truong commune in particular and Thanh Hoa province in general, reflecting the tradition of remembering one's roots, self-respect, solidarity, and national cultural identity.

Do Duy Nha (Contributor)

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/dac-sac-le-hoi-xuan-pha-nam-2024/209460.htm