Announcement ceremony to open the Autumn Festival of Con Son - Kiep Bac 2025

VHO - On the morning of October 1 (ie August 10th of the lunar calendar), at Kiep Bac Temple (Hai Phong), the Organizing Committee of the 2025 Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival solemnly held the Announcement Ceremony, officially opening the festival season. This is a central ritual, with sacred meaning, praying for national peace and prosperity, favorable weather, bountiful crops, and at the same time affirming the unique cultural and spiritual values ​​of the Kiep Bac land.

Delegates perform the announcement ceremony and ask for permission to open the festival.

The opening ceremony of the festival season

Attending the Ceremony were Member of the City Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong City People's Committee, Permanent Deputy Head of the Festival Organizing Committee Nguyen Minh Hung; Member of the City Party Committee, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Deputy Head of the Festival Organizing Committee Tran Thi Hoang Mai, along with leaders of departments, branches, localities and people, tourists from all over.

In front of the Silver House, in a solemn atmosphere, delegates respectfully offered incense, flowers, and offerings to perform the ritual of requesting permission to open the festival. The incense offering ceremony continued at the inner temple. The Van Yen, Duoc Son, and Bac Dau worshiping teams of Tran Hung Dao ward undertook the traditional worshiping part, contributing to the reenactment of the traditional cultural activities of the community.

It has become a tradition that every autumn, people from all over the country make a pilgrimage to Kiep Bac to commemorate the merits of Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan. In a space filled with the heroic spirit of Dong A, the announcement ceremony not only opens the festival season but also expresses the desire for peace, prosperity and happiness.

Vice Chairman of Hai Phong City People's Committee Nguyen Minh Hung performed a ceremony at Kiep Bac Temple.

Festival 2025 – large scale, associated with world heritage

In 2025, the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival will be held on the largest scale ever, and is also the first typical cultural and spiritual event of Hai Phong city after the merger. The festival is associated with many important milestones: the 725th death anniversary of Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan, the 583rd death anniversary of World Cultural Celebrity Nguyen Trai, and especially the ceremony to honor the Complex of Monuments and Landscapes of Yen Tu, Vinh Nghiem, Con Son - Kiep Bac, which has just been recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage.

From October 1 to 12 (ie August 10 to 20 of the lunar calendar), the festival will feature many rich rituals and activities: Kiep Bac Temple Seal Opening Ceremony, Army Gathering on Luc Dau River with 50 participating boats, Peace Prayer Ceremony and Lantern Festival, Procession Ceremony - Death Anniversary of Saint Tran, Nguyen Trai Memorial Ceremony.

Along with the traditional ceremony, many cultural - tourism - commercial activities were organized: thematic exhibition "World Heritage Journey", Culture - Tourism and Trade Promotion Week, introducing OCOP products, craft villages, regional cuisine ; launching 3 new tourism products with the themes "One journey - Five world heritage destinations", "Following the footsteps of the Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam", "Discovering the Con Son - Kiep Bac heritage".

In particular, the audience will enjoy special art programs: Festival of performing the Saints, water puppetry, live stage, 3D mapping projection with modern sound and lighting systems, bringing a solemn yet vibrant experience.

The world cultural heritage Con Son - Kiep Bac is the pride of Hai Phong people.

Affirming the stature of heritage

The announcement ceremony of the opening of the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival 2025 is not only a religious ritual with spiritual significance but also affirms the stature of Vietnamese heritage on the world cultural map. The harmonious combination of traditional rituals and modern organization shows the determination of the Hai Phong government and people in preserving and promoting the value of heritage.

From a traditional ritual of the residents of the Luc Dau River region, the Proclamation Ceremony has now become a highlight in a series of activities honoring the Dong A Spirit, sending the message: heritage is not only memory, but also the spiritual strength that nurtures identity and aspirations for sustainable development.

The number of tourists to Con Son - Kiep Bac increased many times compared to previous years.

During the weekend of September 27 and 28, Con Son - Kiep Bac World Cultural Heritage Site welcomed about 65,000 visitors, more than 4 times higher than the same period in 2023 (15,000). This breakthrough shows the growing attraction of the heritage site after being recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and at the same time reflects the effectiveness of promotion, festival organization and the need for spiritual and cultural experiences of the majority of people and tourists.

With full rituals, cultural, artistic and tourism activities, the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival 2025 promises to become an outstanding spiritual and cultural meeting place, spreading the value of world heritage and national pride to the public.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/le-cao-yet-mo-hoi-mua-thu-con-son-kiep-bac-2025-171567.html