Watching the procession of 'pigs' in La Phu (Hanoi) all night

For a long time, people in the region have had the concept of offering pigs to show gratitude.

The crowd followed the procession. Each village is given a single "pig" to perform the ceremony. From December, the households hosting the ceremony must bring sticky rice to the households raising the pigs to cook porridge for them to eat. The "pigs" are carried on a large palanquin.

Pigs are selected according to strict and meticulous standards. A villager said that the "pig" is fed new food, fruit, porridge, and is burned to keep warm on cold days. On the festival day, the homeowner lights incense and prays for the pig to follow him around without being tied up.

The pig on the day of the wedding weighs about 200-300 kg, which is just right.

The pigs of Tien Phong 1 village are elaborately decorated and surrounded by lights. The palanquin escorts are all young men from the village. At around 9pm, the "pigs" are brought into the communal house to perform a ritual that lasts for several hours.

La Phu villagers stay up all night to celebrate the festival. Each family participating in the pig procession strives to raise more qualified pigs for the next year's festival. If any pig refuses to eat or gets sick, the family chosen to raise it must bring offerings to the village temple to pray. Pigs from Thong Nhat 2 hamlet. The body lies on a decorated palanquin, the organs are neatly arranged on a tray below.

During the procession of the "pigs" to the communal house, each village performed a vibrant lion dance.

The "pigs" were brought to the communal house. Pigs of Doan Ket village. The jubilant atmosphere of the "Pig" procession festival in La Phu village. According to legend, before leaving for war, Tinh Quoc Tam Lang slaughtered a pig and cooked sticky rice to reward his troops. After the ceremony, the "pig" was distributed to households in each village.