Hai Phong recreates the heroic spirit of Dong A on Luc Dau River

Every year, from the 10th to the 20th of the 8th lunar month, when the milk flower begins to give off its first scent, the people of Tran Hung Dao ward ( Hai Phong city) are busy preparing for the Con Son-Kiep Bac Autumn Festival. In that series of activities, the Hoi Quan performance on Luc Dau river is a special ritual to recreate the heroic spirit of the Tran Dynasty's army and people in their 3 victories over the Mongol invaders. For the local people, Hoi Quan is also the "death anniversary of the father" of Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan.

Reenact the scene of preparing troops before going to war.

This year, the Hoi Quan performance on Luc Dau River has many changes. The historic flood forced the ceremony to be postponed to the 22nd day of the 8th lunar month (October 13th in the solar calendar). Sitting on the steps looking out at the river surface still muddy with alluvium, Ms. Ngo Thi Luong, Head of the Professional Department of the Kiep Bac Relic Management Board, who has been writing the script for the festival for many years, said: “Every year, the performing force on the shore will coordinate with the boat group on the river, creating a very grand and beautiful Hoi Quan performance. But this year, the floodwaters rose high, so we had to move the performing team to the flat area inside the dike. Therefore, the overall performance was not as smooth as usual.”

Although held later than every year, the Luc Dau River Festival this year is still bustling. This is the first festival season held after the merger of Hai Duong province and Hai Phong city. Wandering along the Luc Dau River dike, seeing the five-colored flags fluttering in the sky just after sunny days after long rainy days, I heard the sound of festival drums echoing from all directions. Standing on the bank, looking down at the river, each drum beat was like seeing dozens of ancient boats pushing foam to the surface of the water, the sound of soldiers shouting made the boats rock. The proclamation of Hung Dao Vuong was heard in every corner of the temple, echoing from the river to the dike, making the whole Kiep Bac temple awaken in the atmosphere of the military festival.

People on both sides of the dike stood tightly, the number of people coming to watch the festival was very large but there was absolutely no jostling or pushing. The relic management board said that the number of boats was always maintained at about 50. The land forces of the Nhat Nam martial arts team and the dragon and unicorn teams were standardized from the ritual to coordinate harmoniously with the boats on the river, creating the most beautiful visual effect. The fishing boat teams from the Hai Phong and Quang Ninh river areas, along with 400 Nhat Nam martial arts students and 100 soldiers of Tran Hung Dao ward joined in a majestic song.

Stopping in the middle of the yard of Van Kiep temple, I looked up at the two lines on the temple gate: "Van Kiep has mountains and swords of energy/ Luc Dau has no water but no sound" and my heart was filled with gratitude for the heroic efforts of our ancestors who protected the country from invasions from the North.

This year, the military performance was divided into three chapters: "Dong A Heroic Spirit", "Luc Dau Heroic Spirit" and "Victory Song". The song "Dong A Heroic Spirit" opened with war drums, the cry of "kill the enemy" echoed like tearing wind, followed by martial arts dances, dragon dances, and lion dances. The strong and graceful movements of the martial artists were like a combination of the images of the military parade to show off the forces preparing for resistance in Dong Bo Dau in 1284 and the 200,000-troop meeting in Van Kiep in 1285.

The Hoi Quan performance on Luc Dau River, part of the Con Son-Kiep Bac Autumn Festival, has become a sacred ritual commemorating Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan, not only the pride of Hai Phong people but also a beauty in Vietnamese cultural consciousness. Recently, the Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son-Kiep Bac relic and landscape complex was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage, becoming the 9th heritage of Vietnam. This recognition further affirms the importance and great value of the festival. Ms. Ngo Thi Luong affirmed: "The relic management board will try to maintain the Hoi Quan performance on Luc Dau River with more than 50 boats each year and prepare backup plans for any incidents such as storms. Despite difficulties, the festival will not skip any rituals. Hai Phong City People's Committee is also implementing a project to restore and embellish the Con Son-Kiep Bac relic site to preserve historical values, serve sightseeing and develop tourism in the city"./.

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Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/hai-phong-tai-hien-hao-khi-dong-a-tren-song-luc-dau-929085