TL;DR: The Gióng Festival is a major traditional festival in Hà Nội, held at Sóc Temple (Phù Linh Commune, Sóc Sơn District) and Phù Đổng Temple (Phù Đổng Commune, Gia Lâm District), honoring Thánh Gióng, one of the Tứ bất tử of Vietnamese folk belief. The festival was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity under nomination file No. 00443 prepared by the Vietnamese State, with the inscription date of 16 November 2010 in Nairobi (Kenya). The legend of Thánh Gióng is a folk legend, not a historical event.
Hội Gióng (Hanoi): UNESCO intangible cultural heritage
What is Hội Gióng?
Hội Gióng is one of the most emblematic traditional festivals of the Vietnamese people, tied to the legend of Thánh Gióng, the child hero who grew miraculously, rode an iron horse and pulled up bamboo to drive out the Ân invaders under the sixth Hùng King, bringing peace to the land. Thánh Gióng is honoured as one of the "Four Immortals" of Vietnamese folk belief, together with Tản Viên Sơn Thánh, Chử Đồng Tử and Liễu Hạnh Công chúa. In Hanoi, Hội Gióng is held on a large scale at two main sites: Sóc temple in Phù Linh commune, Sóc Sơn district (before 7/2025) (where Thánh Gióng ascended to heaven) and Phù Đổng temple in Phù Đổng commune, Gia Lâm district (before 7/2025) (the homeland of Thánh Gióng). Both festivals are the largest cultural and spiritual events of the year for their localities, drawing tens of thousands of visitors from everywhere.
Compare the two sites hosting Hội Gióng in Hanoi according to the features described in the article.
| Site | Time of celebration | Distinctive features |
|---|---|---|
| Sóc temple, Phù Linh commune, Sóc Sơn district | The 6th to the 8th day of the first lunar month | Large scale, heroic atmosphere, dance and performance rituals re-enacting Thánh Gióng going to battle |
| Phù Đổng temple, Phù Đổng commune, Gia Lâm district (before 7/2025) | The 7th to the 9th day of the fourth lunar month | Strong flavour of northern Vietnamese village culture, the herdsman ritual, the participation of surrounding villages |
Heritage value and the journey to UNESCO inscription
With its distinctive historical, cultural and spiritual values, Hội Gióng was classified by the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage. On 16 November 2010, in the city of Nairobi (Kenya), Hội Gióng at Phù Đổng temple and Sóc temple was officially inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is a great source of pride for the people of the capital in particular and for all of Vietnam in general. The inscription not only recognises the festival's outstanding universal value but also places a responsibility on future generations to preserve and promote the heritage. The Gióng festival at Sóc temple is identified as an important cultural and spiritual event to honour, promote and introduce the intangible cultural heritage representing humanity to a wide public at home and to international friends.
What distinctive rituals does the Gióng festival at Sóc temple have?
The Gióng festival at Sóc temple takes place from the 6th to the 8th day of the first lunar month each year at the Sóc temple heritage site, Sóc Sơn district (before 7/2025), Hanoi. This is an occasion for local people to remember and praise the hero Thánh Gióng, who defeated the Ân invaders and brought a peaceful life to the people. The festival stands out for many unique rituals passed down through generations, most notably the offering of gifts, which include a black bull (the "gentleman horse") along with a basket of glutinous rice and a basket of spring onions, symbolising strength and abundance. The most striking highlight of the festival is the dance and performance ritual re-enacting Thánh Gióng going to battle, with the participation of hundreds of performers drawn from local residents in the costumes of ancient soldiers, holding flags and spears, mimicking battle formations. The festival atmosphere becomes extraordinarily lively, heroic and sacred, vividly recreating the martial tradition, the spirit of solidarity and the unyielding will of the Vietnamese people in the work of building and defending the country.
What village cultural beauty does the Gióng festival at Phù Đổng temple have?
Unlike the large scale and heroic atmosphere at Sóc temple, Hội Gióng at Phù Đổng temple (the former Gia Lâm district) carries a strong flavour of northern Vietnamese village culture, and takes place from the 7th to the 9th day of the fourth lunar month each year. The festival is held with many highly symbolic rituals, re-enacting the entire life and feats of Thánh Gióng from his birth and growth to his fight against the invaders and his ascent to heaven. A special feature of the Gióng festival at Phù Đổng is the participation of the surrounding villages, each taking on a different role in re-enacting the story, from preparing betel and areca and rice balls to sending people to play the parts of soldiers and escorts. The "herdsman" ritual, with images of buffalo-herding boys in ancient costumes symbolising the childhood of Thánh Gióng, is also a unique and unmistakable touch. The Gióng festival at Phù Đổng expresses community cohesion and the spirit of cooperation and mutual support among villages, an important cultural value of Vietnam's wet-rice agricultural society.
Experiences and new events at the festival
In recent years, to meet the ever-growing cultural demand of local people and visitors, the Gióng festival at Sóc temple has introduced innovations in its organisation. In 2026, the festival is held from 22 to 24 February 2026 (that is, the 6th to the 8th day of the first month of the year Bính Ngọ). For the first time, the organisers have launched night tours of the festival and a special art programme, aiming to bring fresher and more attractive experiences to visitors. These activities not only enrich the spiritual tourism experience but also help to spread the image of the intangible cultural heritage representing humanity more widely. The combination of preserving traditional rituals and creating new tourism products shows the efforts of the authorities and people of Hanoi to promote the heritage's value in connection with sustainable local economic and tourism development, while still preserving the sacredness and solemnity inherent to an ancient festival.
What is the cultural meaning and enduring vitality of Hội Gióng?
Hội Gióng is not merely an entertaining festival but a living museum preserving the great cultural and historical values of the nation. The festival reflects the aspiration for peace, the spirit of patriotism, the indomitable will to resist foreign invasion and faith in the miraculous strength of the community. The rituals and performances in Hội Gióng all carry deep educational meaning, passing on to younger generations lessons about courage, solidarity and a sense of responsibility towards the community. The survival and development of Hội Gióng over thousands of years of history is clear evidence of the powerful vitality of national culture, a bridge between a heroic past and the present, and at the same time a solid foundation for present and future generations to preserve and promote Vietnamese cultural identity in an era of international integration.
Topic overview article: What kinds of Vietnamese traditional festivals are there?
