Unique Sticky Rice Cake and Steamed Rice Cake Contest

(CLO) On March 4th, at the stone courtyard of Con Son Pagoda, the Organizing Committee of the Con Son - Kiet Bac Spring Festival 2026 held the opening ceremony of the Banh Chung and Banh Giay (traditional Vietnamese rice cake) Making Contest.

Mr. Vu Dinh Tien - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hai Phong, Head of the Organizing Committee of the Drumming Competition, officially opened the competition. Photo: Organizing Committee.

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The competition brought together more than 150 artisans from 16 communes and wards in the city. From areas rich in cultural heritage like Mao Dien and Ke Sat to dynamic wards like Le Thanh Nghi and Nguyen Dai Nang, the artisans brought to the competition not only rice, meat, and banana leaves, but also a deep pride in their homeland's traditions. (Photo: Organizing Committee)

Hands accustomed to farming suddenly became soft and nimble, swiftly arranging banana leaves, spreading glutinous rice, and placing the mung bean and pork filling neatly into squares. In just 45 minutes, hundreds of vibrant green banh chung (Vietnamese rice cakes) were completed, perfectly uniform as if molded, showcasing the meticulousness and dedication of the makers. (Photo: Organizing Committee)

From a cultural perspective, banh chung and banh giay are not just food. They symbolize the philosophy of yin and yang, the harmony between Earth and Heaven, and the heartfelt reverence offered to ancestors. (Photo: Organizing Committee)

The ingredients for the cake range from glutinous rice (made from premium yellow flowers and free from regular rice) to carefully prepared pieces of pork and mung beans. (Photo: Organizing Committee)

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In 15 minutes of wrapping banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) or 50 minutes of steaming sticky rice and pounding banh giay (another type of Vietnamese rice cake), the artisans performed a sacred cultural ritual, where individual skills blended with collective will to create products offered to Buddha and the Saints. (Photo: Organizing Committee)

This competition also carries profound significance as it is held in the context of the upcoming National Commemoration Day of Hung Kings and paying tribute to national heroes such as Tran Hung Dao and Nguyen Trai. (Photo: Organizing Committee)

The artisans boiled the banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) over a wood fire for six hours. This activity evokes the tradition that, no matter how developed society becomes, the roots remain the strongest spiritual foundation for the nation to thrive. (Photo: Organizing Committee)

The widespread appeal of the competition has attracted tourists from all over, creating a unique cultural highlight for tourism in the culturally rich and heroic port city of Dong Nai. (Photo: Organizing Committee)

After the competition, the winning cakes were offered to temples and pagodas in the Con Son - Kiet Bac historical site to pray for favorable weather, prosperity for people and livestock, to awaken national pride in every Vietnamese person and to make a strong impression on international friends about a Vietnam that values ​​compassion and is rich in cultural identity. (Photo: Organizing Committee)

The 2026 Sticky Rice Cake and Square Rice Cake Making Contest at Con Son - Kiet Bac, held on February 4th and 5th, aims to awaken a sense of responsibility in each individual in preserving and promoting this heritage. This is the foundation for building an advanced Vietnamese culture, rich in national identity, both modern and rooted in the traditions of our ancestors. (Photo: Organizing Committee)

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Source: https://congluan.vn/doc-dao-hoi-thi-banh-chung-banh-giay-10332273.html