Building cultural and civilized festivals

Our country currently has nearly 9,000 festivals, distributed throughout all regions, taking place all year round. Festivals are a unique traditional cultural feature, and have long become a familiar cultural activity for the majority of people. Spring, after the Lunar New Year, is the peak of festivals, including famous festivals that last for months, such as the Huong Pagoda festival.

Festivals are a beautiful tradition of the community of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, with thousands of years of history. The festival shows the people's gratitude for the traditions and history of the nation and recognizes the contributions of previous generations in building and defending the country, protecting independence. In addition toeducating ideology, ethics, lifestyle, patriotism, love of homeland, national pride, building solidarity in the community, the festival also reflects the beauty of traditional culture, humanity of each ethnic group, religion, and region.

The country currently has 8,868 festivals, including 8,103 traditional festivals, 687 cultural festivals, 74 professional festivals, and 4 festivals of foreign origin. The festivals are held sporadically at many times of the year, but the most concentrated is still the New Year. As a country of rice civilization, Vietnam's traditional festivals take place mainly in the spring when farmers are idle and people have spiritual needs to pray for a good new year. Most festivals take place within the village, besides there are regional festivals such as Lim Festival (Bac Ninh), Giong Festival ( Hanoi ), Tran Temple (Nam Dinh), Oc Om Boc Festival (Soc Trang), Ba Chua Xu Festival (An Giang)... and there are national festivals such as Hung Temple Festival (Phu Tho). There are festivals that take place over a few days, and there are festivals that take place every month, such as the Huong Pagoda festival (Hanoi), Yen Tu festival (Quang Ninh)...

After the ritual is the festival. This is an opportunity for people to enjoy material and spiritual values, and at the same time exchange to consolidate the community. Therefore, the festival is a special activity, indispensable in every community. The festival is also an opportunity to review the tradition of building and defending the country of our people throughout history. Each village community has its own traditions, the festival is an opportunity to review, re-enact... All of these festivals with their own cultural nuances contribute to creating a rich cultural identity of the nation.

Festivals have long been a familiar cultural activity for the majority of people. Each festival, especially traditional festivals, contains core cultural and historical values, clearly reflecting the cultural identity of the Vietnamese people. Therefore, for many years, the preservation, protection, honor and development of cultural values, including festival activities, have always been of interest to our Party and State, with appropriate policies issued.

The King Le Thai To Temple Festival in the spring of Giap Thin 2024 will open on February 20, 2024 (January 11) in Le Loi commune, Nam Nhun district, Lai Chau province, to commemorate the merits of the national hero - King Le Thai To.

The content of state management of festivals is implemented through a system of documents, including: Resolutions, directives, documents of the Party and Government, decrees, circulars guiding the implementation of management, organization and implementation of civilized lifestyle in festivals. In the past time, the Party and Government have issued a system of documents on leadership, direction, management, organization of festivals and implementation of civilized lifestyle in festivals. The management and organization of festivals are regulated in Decree No. 110/2018/ND-CP dated August 29, 2018 of the Government on the management and organization of festivals. Regarding the implementation of civilized lifestyle in festivals, there have been specific guiding documents such as: Directive No. 27-CT/TW dated January 12, 1998 of the Politburo (VIII term) on the implementation of civilized lifestyle in weddings, funerals and festivals; Directive No. 21-CT/TW dated December 21, 2012 of the Central Party Secretariat on promoting thrift practice and combating waste; Directive No. 41-CT/TW dated February 5, 2015 of the Secretariat on strengthening the Party's leadership over festival management and organization; Directive No. 06/CT-TTg dated February 20, 2017 of the Prime Minister on rectifying festival management and organization... Most recently, in August 2023, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a "Set of criteria on cultural environment in traditional festivals" (specifying criteria on building a cultural environment at relics and festivals), which is considered an important step to improve the effectiveness of festival organization in a civilized, healthy and economical direction. The set of criteria is also a tool and measure to evaluate the management capacity as well as the effectiveness of festival activities in the locality. With 9 general criteria and 44 specific criteria, the set of criteria is the basis and orientation for local organizing committees to standardize criteria and apply unified solutions to build a cultural environment in traditional festivals. Through that, localities build a civilized and healthy festival cultural environment; preserve and promote traditional cultural values, good customs and practices and spread them in social life; gradually eliminate backward customs and practices...

The Bong drum dance (also known as the “prostitute beating the bong” dance) is the most typical, unique and indispensable highlight at the Trieu Khuc Village Festival (Tan Trieu Commune, Thanh Tri District, Hanoi) - a traditional festival to commemorate the national hero Bo Cai Dai Vuong Phung Hung.

Urging the implementation of key tasks after the Giap Thin Lunar New Year holiday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued Directive No. 06/CT-TTg dated February 15, 2024, requiring the organization of cultural, artistic and festival activities to ensure safety and civilization. The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to preside over and coordinate with agencies and localities to actively and proactively direct the organization of cultural and artistic activities, opening traditional and folk festivals right after Tet, ensuring safety and civilization, promoting national cultural identity; promptly correct and strictly handle violations according to Official Dispatch No. 10/CD-TTg dated January 29, 2024, especially violations in collecting and managing donation money and burning votive paper (if any). Localities should strengthen the management of destinations and guide tourism service businesses to implement measures to ensure safety for tourists and people. Accommodation establishments and food and beverage businesses must promote and encourage tourists to strictly follow the rule "If you drink alcohol, do not drive"...

Ms. Ninh Thi Thu Huong, Director of the Department of Grassroots Culture (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ) said that this year's festival management work is more innovative. Provinces and cities have proactively proposed key, focal, and forecast plans for local festival activities. Many places have issued comprehensive, consistent plans for general festival activities; directly directing authorities at all levels to develop scenarios, plans, and feasible plans to ensure safe and healthy festival activities. In fact, in many localities, the Giap Thin 2024 spring festivals are organized bustlingly, joyfully with many new features.

The Thi Cam rice cooking competition was held in Xuan Phuong ward, Nam Tu Liem district (Hanoi).

Hanoi is the locality with the most large festivals in the country, with about 1,500 festivals held in 2024. Before entering the festival season, districts, towns and cities have prepared well for the organization, introducing new creative activities while still ensuring the integrity of the festival. Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports Tran Thi Van Anh said that the Department has requested localities to prepare carefully for the 2024 festival season. The ceremony must comply with local traditional regulations; be organized solemnly and professionally to demonstrate the unique values of the locality. The festival clearly demonstrates the cultural identity of the locality towards building a unique cultural product. Localities have well implemented the "Set of criteria on cultural environment in traditional festivals" issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; paid attention to ensuring environmental sanitation; security and order, fire prevention and fighting; increased inspection, maintaining the beauty of the festival...

Huong Pagoda Festival (Huong Son Commune, My Duc District, Hanoi) annually welcomes millions of visitors to visit and worship. This year's festival season, in order to eliminate the problem of soliciting and asking for more money from boat passengers, for the first time, Huong Pagoda Tourism Service Cooperative was established with the participation of more than 4,000 boats and ferries carrying passengers to the festival. The cooperative operates the transportation of passengers by boat and ferries according to the prescribed time through digitalization. This year, the Organizing Committee of Huong Pagoda Festival continues to sell electronic tickets, creating convenience for tourists and functional forces, avoiding fake and smuggled tickets; organizing the sale of tickets for scenic spots, boat and ferries, and keeping vehicles at wharves and parking lots. Electric cars are used to take tourists from bus stations to ferry wharves along the route with 3 routes to pick up and drop off passengers to Yen wharf area. All tourist attractions are attached with QR codes, helping people easily look up information about the festival. Thanks to digital transformation, this year, ticket evasion, customer solicitation, asking for more money... are almost gone, helping visitors experience a safe, civilized and friendly festival.

In the early days of spring, people of Phu Thuong ward, Tay Ho district (Hanoi) enthusiastically immersed themselves in the atmosphere of the traditional Sticky Rice Festival. The joy doubled when Phu Thuong Sticky Rice was officially listed in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. According to Vice Chairman of Tay Ho District People's Committee Bui Thi Lan Phuong, the Ceremony to announce the Decision to list Phu Thuong Sticky Rice in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List is an opportunity to honor the heritage; recognize and commend the efforts of Party committees, authorities, agencies and communities in preserving, conserving and promoting the value of traditional crafts. Thereby, promoting the responsibility to preserve and promote heritage to serve socio -economic development. It has become a tradition that in early spring, Hai Phong city organizes the Opening Calligraphy Festival. This year, the festival was held at the Mac Dynasty Memorial Area (Ngu Doan Commune, Kien Thuy District) to pay tribute to the Mac Thai To and the Mac Dynasty's ancestors who made great contributions to developing education and training talents for the country such as: Trang Trinh Nguyen Binh Khiem, Phung Khac Khoan, Nguyen Thi Due... The festival contributes to preserving and promoting the historical and cultural traditions of the nation, promoting the potential and strengths of tourism, attracting tourists to Kien Thuy, and boosting the socio-economic development of the locality. Participating in the festival, Vu Thi Ngoc Ha (Huu Bang Secondary School, Kien Thuy District) shared that she was honored to represent her 7th grade classmates to attend this year's festival to learn more about history and have more motivation to study better.

For many years, Long Tong Festival has been organized by An Nhon Commune, Da Teh District, Lam Dong Province at the beginning of the year to preserve and promote the unique traditional cultural beauty of ethnic groups, thereby affirming the spirit of solidarity and attachment of the communities. Long Tong in Tay and Nung languages means going to the fields, and is the most anticipated harvest festival of the year for Tay and Nung ethnic groups in the northern mountainous region. On this occasion, people wear their best clothes and gather to have fun on a large area in the village. Long Tong is a ceremony to report the achievements of the past year to the God of Agriculture, praying for favorable weather, peace and prosperity for the country, bountiful harvests, prosperity for every family, and the growth of all things... Mr. Luu Van Phuong, Chairman of the People's Committee of An Nhon commune, shared: "Over the past 40 years, the people of all ethnic groups in the commune have united, joining hands to build a new homeland that is increasingly prosperous and beautiful. In the new homeland of Da Teh, the Tay, Nung and other ethnic groups have constantly strived, overcoming all initial difficulties, building an increasingly prosperous and happy life."

Long Tong Festival aims to preserve traditional Northwest culture in Lam Dong homeland.

In the joyful atmosphere of the first days of spring, the Doi Son Tich Dien Festival (Ha Nam) was held, bringing a new working spirit, encouraging people to grow rice, take care of agriculture ; praying for a year of favorable weather and good crops. This year, the Festival has many changes to promote the festival space, attract and attract tourists. Along with the main rituals such as the Announcement Ceremony, palanquin procession, water procession, purification ceremony, praying for peace..., activities such as drawing contest, buffalo decoration, sports, arts, wrestling, folk games, people and tourists can also participate in many rich, diverse and lively activities. In particular, for the first time, people and tourists from all over the country have the opportunity to experience the Plowing Competition organized by the locality. The Organizing Committee has reduced administrative procedures; arranged many booths to serve people and tourists to visit and shop for agricultural products, typical products and OCOP of Ha Nam. The new spring is coming, bringing with it the festival season of the Vietnamese ethnic community. This is both an opportunity and a challenge for the current festival management work. Festival management must ensure that the original elements are preserved, while creating highlights for each festival, meeting the needs of festival participants, bringing them spiritual and cultural experiences in the joy and safety that society desires.