Unique folk games and drum-beating competitions at the temple festival.

TPO - The Gam Temple Festival is organized with solemn rituals and many attractive folk games. Among them, the unique drum-beating competition attracts thousands of visitors from all over to attend the festival.

March 17, 2025 | 12:57

TPO - The Gam Temple Festival is organized with solemn rituals and many attractive folk games. Among them, the unique drum-beating competition attracts thousands of visitors from all over to attend the festival.

The Gam Temple and Pagoda Festival ( Nghe An ) takes place from the 13th to the 17th of February in the lunar calendar. This is the only place that combines a temple and a pagoda in the same compound, creating a unique religious and spiritual complex in Nghe An today.

Gam Temple and Pagoda (Xuan Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, Nghe An province) is a unique religious complex in Nghe An province, featuring both a temple and a pagoda within a single compound. The complex was built during the Tran Dynasty to worship deities who contributed to the nation's protection and welfare. In 2007, Gam Temple and Pagoda was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as a Provincial-level Historical and Cultural Relic and was honored to receive the UNESCO Patronage Certificate from the Vietnam Federation of UNESCO Associations in 2018. In 2022, the complex was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as a spiritual and ecological tourism destination.

Every year, the festival is held from the 13th to the 17th of the second lunar month to preserve, conserve, and promote various forms of national culture. The festival aims to express the people's faith and reverence for the merits of deities, Buddha, and ancestors.

A special highlight of this year's Gam Temple and Pagoda Festival is the ceremonial drumming competition. This is considered a captivating event, attracting thousands of tourists and locals to participate.

This year's ceremonial drumming competition featured 13 teams from various hamlets and clans in the area. Each team consisted of 7 participants dressed in traditional attire: long robes and headscarves. Each team included one person playing the large drum (the bass drum), three playing the smaller drums, and three playing the smaller drums (nao).

According to the rules, each team will play three ceremonial drum beats lasting approximately 12 minutes. If the performance exceeds the allotted time, points will be deducted. At the end of the competition, the judging panel will score the teams and award prizes.

This year's competition was particularly notable for the participation of teenagers and young children. The youngest participant was Nguyen Canh Dat (5 years old, residing in Thuong Xuan hamlet, Xuan Thanh commune).

Despite his young age, Nguyen Canh Dat has demonstrated exceptional talent in playing ceremonial drums, attracting thousands of locals and spectators.

Besides the drumming competition, this year's festival also features many lively folk games such as stick pushing, tug-of-war, pot smashing, men's and women's wrestling, volleyball matches, and performances of traditional opera and folk theater.

The tug-of-war competition attracted many teams from women's associations in the commune, resulting in exciting matches.

The blindfolded duck-catching game brought much laughter and joy to the audience.

The blindfolded pig-catching game is enjoyed by many children.

The Gam Temple and Pagoda Festival (Nghe An) takes place from the 13th to the 17th of the second lunar month. This is the only place that combines a temple and a pagoda within the same complex, creating a unique religious and spiritual site in Nghe An.

Ngoc Tu

Source: https://tienphong.vn/doc-dao-tro-choi-dan-gian-and-hoi-thi-danh-trong-te-o-le-hoi-den-chua-gam-post1725619.tpo