Keo Pagoda, also known as Than Quang Temple, is an ancient pagoda built in the 17th century and is one of the most famous temples in the rice-growing region of Thai Binh province. The pagoda is located in Keo village (formerly Dung Nhue village) in Duy Nhat commune, Vu Thu district. Every year, Keo Pagoda holds two main festivals: the spring festival on the 4th day of the Lunar New Year and the autumn festival from the 10th to the 15th of September in the lunar calendar.
Fire-making competition for cooking rice at Keo Pagoda festival.
The autumn festival commemorates the centenary of the passing of Zen Master Dương Không Lộ and his birthday, as well as the important Buddhist holiday of the full moon. Therefore, the procession of the sacred palanquin at Keo Pagoda is held over three days: September 13th, 14th, and 15th.
The spring festival at Keo Pagoda reflects the spirit of a rice- farming agricultural civilization, where people pray for national peace and prosperity, favorable weather, and well-being for all families.
During the traditional spring festival at Keo Pagoda, many activities take place, creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere, promoting competition and physical fitness in preparation for a better life. The offerings are carefully selected and processed agricultural products such as sticky rice, sugar, molasses, and mung beans, offered with sincere devotion to Buddha and the Saints.
In the past, Keo village had 8 hamlets, including 4 eastern hamlets: Dong Nhat, Dong Nhi, Dai Huu, and Vong Dong, and 4 western hamlets: Doai Nhat, Vong Doai, Hoang Quy, and Duong Thinh. On the morning of the 4th day of Tet (Lunar New Year), along with many tourists coming to Keo Pagoda to celebrate the spring festival and worship Buddha, the young men and elders of the hamlets in the village gathered at the village communal house to prepare all the necessary ingredients and tools for the competition. They then went to the pagoda to perform the Buddhist rituals and began the competition of running to fetch water, pulling bamboo to make fire, and cooking rice and sweet soup to offer to the Buddha.
The most unique and popular part of the competition, attracting a large crowd of participants and supporters, was the fire-carrying contest. Stoves with cooking heads were neatly arranged. Strong young men were tasked with running races to fetch water to wash rice for cooking. Young men carrying earthenware jars ran three laps around the lake before returning to fetch water from the temple's well for their respective stoves. The group that finished first received extra points in the competition.
The most exciting and joyful part is the bamboo-pulling fire-making competition. What sets the Keo Pagoda Spring Festival apart from many other spring festivals is the traditional method of creating fire. Young men from each hamlet use two pre-prepared dry bamboo sticks. In the competition, the quickest and most skillful young men are chosen to pull the two sticks together forcefully and quickly, rubbing them against each other. The friction generates heat, igniting embers that ignite tinder placed next to the bamboo sticks. The contestants then skillfully blow on the fire, and the first to ignite the fire wins. From this moment, the warm fire, bringing new life, is passed on to the other stoves, and everyone asks for fire to light incense and worship Buddha. Through the preparation of fragrant sticky rice from Keo village, the offerings are completed. Bright red, soft and chewy gac fruit sticky rice, mung bean sweet soup with fragrant ginger, and pristine white rice... all are familiar products, yet the essence of heaven and earth, prepared with care and devotion, creating the offerings to Buddha.
The joyful atmosphere of the early spring continues into the night. The water puppet show, with its many stories, stirs the shimmering lake surface, and the dry puppet show (Oi Loi puppet show) dedicated to the deity attracts many viewers. The puppets are whimsical and somewhat bizarre, with different facial expressions conveying a wide range of emotions. Through the puppet show, prayers are sung for peace in the country, well-being for all beings, and a bountiful harvest. Furthermore, the encouragement of learning and talent, and the preservation of family traditions are conveyed through the performances. The graceful puppet dances, harmonizing with the lively sounds of drums, gongs, and wooden clappers, make the spring festival at Keo Pagoda even more memorable for visitors.
Spring is also a time for many wrestling and martial arts demonstrations, showcasing the chivalrous spirit of the nation. Young men from Keo village and visitors from all over compete in the wrestling arena. The wrestlers' warm-up exercises and their impressive moves and locking techniques impress and garner applause from the spectators. Besides wrestling, the stick fighting competition is also very lively. The fighting stick is a long bamboo pole, about 4 meters long, with one end wrapped in cloth to prevent injury to the opponent. The two competitors greet each other and warm up. The stick fighting techniques include many moves such as "Lã Vọng Fishing," "Trung Bình Whip," "Song Long Tranh Đấu," etc., each move very graceful. One hand holds the handle of the stick, the other holds the shaft, the hand position is adjusted to defend against the opponent's attacks and can also be used for locking. In a match, the player wins if their stick touches the opponent's body five times.
While the festival on the shore featured many lively competitions, the lake near the temple also hosted an equally boisterous duck-catching contest. Strong, healthy ducks were released into the lake, requiring skilled swimmers and divers to catch them. However, these clever ducks would disappear into the water when someone approached, leaving the cheering crowd and the rhythmic drumming echoing throughout the spring festival.
Nguyen Thuyen
(Vu Thu)
Source: https://baothaibinh.com.vn/tin-tuc/19/217109/mua-xuan-tray-hoi-chua-keo
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