On the evening of April 22nd, at the Bach Dang National Special Historical Site (Quang Yen ward, Quang Ninh province), the Ha Long Bay - Yen Tu World Heritage Management Board held the opening ceremony of the 2026 Bach Dang traditional festival.
Throughout the thousand-year history of our country, the Bach Dang River has witnessed battles against foreign invaders and heroic victories of the nation.
The Bach Dang Festival is associated with the historical Battle of Bach Dang in 938, 981, and 1288. The first battle, in 938, saw the Vietnamese army and people, led by Ngo Quyen, defeat the Southern Han army, ending 1,000 years of Chinese rule and affirming the country's independence and sovereignty .
Secondly, in 981, General Le Hoan defeated the invading Song army, firmly defending the country's borders. Thirdly, in the spring of 1288, under the command of Grand Marshal Tran Quoc Tuan, the army and people of the Tran dynasty annihilated 600 warships and 40,000 Mongol troops.
In 2021, the Bach Dang Festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2025, the Bach Dang stake field will be one of 12 clusters of historical sites within the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac complex of historical and scenic sites to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, once again affirming the outstanding values and importance of the Bach Dang historical site.
In his opening remarks at the festival, Mr. Mai Vu Tuan, Head of the Management Board of the Ha Long Bay - Yen Tu World Heritage Site, emphasized: The traditional Bach Dang Festival, also known locally as the "Battle Commemoration" festival, is one of the traditional festivals of Quang Ninh province held annually to commemorate national heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country's independence, affirming the great historical significance and value of the Bach Dang victory in the nation's history of building and defending the country.
The festival also aims to preserve, maintain, and continue to promote, introduce, and honor the historical value and significance of the Bach Dang National Special Historical Site and the Bach Dang Traditional Festival - a national intangible cultural heritage - to a wide audience of domestic and international tourists, contributing to the education of historical traditions and arousing national pride among all segments of the population.
This year's festival maintains solemn traditional rituals such as: the sacrificial ceremony, the procession of the statue of Saint Tran Hung Dao, incense burners and royal decrees from Tran Hung Dao Temple and Queen Mother's Shrine to Yen Giang communal house and back.
The activities of the 2026 Bach Dang Festival will take place over four days, from April 22nd to 25th (corresponding to the 6th to 9th day of the third lunar month of the Year of the Horse), at locations within the Bach Dang National Special Historical Relic Site in Quang Ninh province, including: Tran Hung Dao Temple, Queen Mother's Shrine, Yen Giang communal house (Quang Yen ward); Trung Coc Temple (Phong Coc ward); and Trung Ban communal house (Lien Hoa ward).
The highlight of this year's festival is the combination of traditional folk games and modern activities to celebrate the Quang Ninh Culture, Sports and Tourism Week welcoming summer 2026.
Tourists and locals can directly participate in activities such as recreational volleyball, tug-of-war, human chess, blindfolded pot smashing, and especially the boat race on the "heritage road," along with the Bạch Đằng stake-planting performance - recreating the unique combat methods of our ancestors on the historical river.
To widely disseminate the value of the national intangible cultural heritage, the Organizing Committee focuses on explaining and introducing the historical site to visitors, organizing special art programs, and holding a lantern-releasing ceremony at the ancient ferry terminal to pay tribute to the heroic martyrs…
Source: https://congluan.vn/quang-ninh-khai-hoi-bach-dang-2026-10339172.html
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