Giong Festival in Gia Lam District - A "Pearl" that is increasingly shining

Kinhtedothi-15 years after UNESCO recognized the Gióng Festival as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2010-2025), the Vietnamese Government and the local authorities of Gia Lâm District have always been committed to protecting and promoting the precious traditions of the Gióng Festival. That has made the Chief Representative of the UNESCO Office in Vietnam - Mr. Jonathan Baker extremely grateful and appreciative, and at the same time expressed gratitude to the community for preserving the festival from generation to generation, from year to year, making the noble values ​​of solidarity and the desire for peace last forever.

On the evening of May 4, at the Phu Dong Temple Special National Relic Site, Phu Dong Commune, the People's Committee of Gia Lam District solemnly held the opening ceremony of the Phu Dong Temple Giong Festival 2025; commemorating the 15th anniversary of UNESCO's recognition of the Giong Festival as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2010 - 2025).

Attending the event were Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nong Quoc Thanh; Member of the City Party Committee, Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Hanoi Pham Thi Thanh Mai; Chief Representative of the UNESCO Office in Vietnam - Mr. Jonathan Baker; along with representatives of leaders of several provinces, cities and departments, branches, sectors, districts and towns of Hanoi; leaders of Gia Lam district.

Delegates attending the ceremony.

Pride of the Gióng Festival

Delivering the opening speech of the festival, Vice Chairman of Gia Lam District People's Committee Truong Van Hoc affirmed: The story of the boy from Giong village, Phu Dong commune has long been imprinted in the minds of Vietnamese people as a symbol of filial piety, patriotism against foreign invaders, and protection of the country.

Legend has it that, during the reign of the 6th Hung King, a boy was born in Gióng village, Phù Đổng commune with a handsome face, but at the age of three he still could not speak or laugh, and spent all day lying in a basket hanging on a bamboo pole, so he was named Gióng. However, when he heard the messenger's voice announcing the king's call for talented people to lead troops to fight the enemy to help the country, the boy Gióng suddenly spoke and smiled to his mother, inviting the messenger in, then asked the messenger to go back and tell the king to buy him an iron horse, an iron whip, an iron armor and an iron helmet to lead troops to fight the enemy...

After eating “7 baskets of rice, 3 baskets of eggplants, and drinking the river in one gulp” , Gióng stretched himself to become a majestic and awe-inspiring warrior, jumped on his horse, the horse screamed fire and galloped straight to where the enemy was. While fighting the enemy, the iron whip broke, Gióng pulled up a bamboo bush on the side of the road and whipped the enemy. The enemy was defeated, Gióng climbed Sóc Sơn mountain, turned back to bow to his mother, then both he and his horse slowly flew up to the sky.

Vice Chairman of Gia Lam District People's Committee Truong Van Hoc presented the opening speech of the festival.

To commemorate his merits, the royal court conferred him the title of “Phu Dong Thien Vuong” and his mother the title of “Thanh Mau Bao Vuong”, and built a temple in his hometown. The Giong Festival is held annually to commemorate the merits of Phu Dong Thien Vuong - Saint Giong.

As a large folk theater with hundreds of roles depicting all the battles of Saint Giong, the Giong festival in Phu Dong is evaluated by researchers as: "One of the most interesting and oldest festivals. It is also the most well-known and popular festival". For thousands of years, the Giong festival at Phu Dong temple has been preserved, protected and practiced by the local community as a part of their flesh and blood. The main ritual of the Giong festival is held at locations in the Phu Dong temple special national relic site, including 10 related locations.

Phu Dong stretches out

In recent years, in parallel with the tasks of socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security, building a strong Party and political system, building the brand of the bonsai - bougainvillea craft village, maintaining the criteria of being one of the 7 communes of Gia Lam district recognized by Hanoi as meeting the standards of a model New Rural Area, Phu Dong commune has been changing every day. The preservation and maintenance of precious traditional cultural values ​​have been given special attention, realized through practical and effective programs, plans and projects.

Gia Lam district leaders awarded prizes to collectives and individuals who have made many contributions to preserving and promoting the values ​​of the Gióng festival.

After 15 years of being recognized by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity, the Gióng festival ritual at Phù Đổng temple is still preserved by the community with its original value; predecessors guide the next generation, grandparents and parents teach their children and grandchildren... Gióng festival is maintained and organized annually with a regular scale including the main roles; and every 5 years, the festival is organized with a main scale, including all the roles.

Along with the preservation of rituals, the Gióng festival has always received attention, guidance, direction, and investment from all levels, sectors, and the heritage practice community to protect and promote the value of intangible cultural heritage. Implementing the City's Programs, Projects, and Plans on "Cultural development, improving the quality of human resources, building elegant and civilized Hanoians in the period of 2021-2025" and Resolution 09 of the City Party Committee on developing cultural industry in the capital, resolutions and directive documents of the District Party Committee and District People's Council; Gia Lam District People's Committee has issued the Project "Preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritages associated with tourism development in the area" for the period of 2016-2020 and the period of 2021-2025, issuing 09 Implementation Plans, aiming to preserve the system of cultural heritages in the district, including the Gióng festival at Phù Đổng Temple.

Coordinate to prepare a dossier to upgrade the ranking of the Phu Dong historical relic site from a National Relic to a Special National Relic. Coordinate to conduct video recording to document the Giong festival process; update information introducing the Phu Dong Temple Special National Relic and Giong Festival on the Gia Lam App in 2 languages ​​(English and Vietnamese); introduce the locations of the Special National Relics and festivals with QR Codes in places that are easy to identify for people and tourists. Direct the compilation and release of publications introducing typical relics and artifacts in the district's historical and cultural relics, including Phu Dong Temple and Giong Festival. Introduce and promote the beauty of the representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity through cultural events of the city and the whole country.

Perform the main roles participating in the festival.

The education activities of the Gióng festival heritage in schools are also being promoted. Schools in Phù Đổng arrange lessons on the history of the homeland, organize competitions to promote and learn about the history, the legend of Thánh Gióng, the Phù Đổng temple relic complex and Gióng festival - the representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The Phù Đổng temple management board regularly coordinates with schools to organize tours, promote, teach and introduce the Phù Đổng temple relic and Gióng festival to students...

In particular, with the attention of central and city agencies, the support of agencies, businesses and people in the area, in the recent period, Gia Lam district has invested in renovating and embellishing the cultural space of the Gióng Festival Heritage, and the locations of the Phu Dong National Special Relic Site have been renovated with a total investment of nearly 100 billion VND.

Eternal with national culture

At this time, Gia Lam district, Phu Dong commune and the whole country are in the process of implementing the arrangement of administrative units and building a two-level local government model under the direction of the Central and the City. According to the Resolution approved by the City People's Council, all communes in Bac Duong area and Yen Vien town of the district will be merged into a new administrative unit called Phu Dong commune - one of the names that has gone down in history of the ancient land of Gia Lam, the birthplace of Saint Giong associated with unique relics and festivals that have been recognized by Vietnam and the world.

Special art program at the opening ceremony.

With the attention and direction of the Central Government, the City, and UNESCO in preserving, maintaining, and promoting the value of the Gióng Festival cultural heritage, the new Phù Đổng commune with its potential, strengths, and cultural heritage resources, the bonsai and bougainvillea craft village will create a new development space, ready to enter a new era - the era of national growth; and at the same time, it will become a cultural tourist destination attracting a large number of domestic people and international friends.

Speaking at the ceremony, UNESCO representative in Vietnam - Mr. Jonathan Baker highly appreciated the efforts of the Vietnamese Government and local authorities who have always committed to protecting and promoting the precious tradition of the Gióng Festival. He emphasized: "Let us celebrate the 15-year journey as a call: to protect and promote the heritage, to accompany the communities that are making efforts to pass on the heritage and to spread the beauty and meaning of the heritage to the international community."

Special art program at the opening ceremony.

The Gióng Festival at Phù Đổng Temple in 2025 is associated with the 15th anniversary of UNESCO's recognition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, taking place from April 28, 2025 to May 7, 2025 (ie April 1 to 10, At Ty year).

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/le-hoi-giong-huyen-gia-lam-vien-ngoc-ngay-cang-toa-sang.693743.html