TL;DR: The Đồng Bằng Temple Festival, also called the Đức Vua Temple Festival or Đức Vua Cha Bát Hải Động Đình Temple Festival, takes place from the 20th to the 26th day of the eighth lunar month each year, tied to the saying "thang Tam gio cha" (eighth month, father's death anniversary). The temple worships King Father Bát Hải Động Đình in the Four Palaces belief and also commemorates Hưng Đạo Đại Vương Trần Quốc Tuấn and Tran dynasty generals. Many pilgrim groups visit Côn Sơn and Kiếp Bạc temples in Hải Dương on the 20th of the eighth month, then travel downstream to Đồng Bằng Temple, linking the two festival routes into one journey. The festival was inscribed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage under Decision 3247/QD-BVHTTDL dated 16/9/2016.
On which days does the Đồng Bằng Temple Festival take place?
The Đồng Bằng Temple Festival, also called the Đức Vua Temple Festival or Đức Vua Cha Bát Hải Động Đình Temple Festival, runs from the 20th to the 26th day of the eighth lunar month each year[1][2]. This window is tied to the local saying "thang Tam gio cha" (eighth month, father's death anniversary), marking both the death anniversary of King Father Bát Hải Động Đình and that of Đức Thánh Trần Hưng Đạo[1][2].
A folk verse recorded by a Hưng Yên provincial tourism source mentions two dates within that window:
"Du ai buon xa ban xa 20 thang 8 gio cha thi ve Du ai buon ban tram nghe 25 thang 8 nho ve Dao thon"[2].
Folk tradition names the 20th and 25th of the eighth month, while the official festival window extends to the 26th[1][2]. Not all sources record the same opening and closing dates, so visitors should check the current year's organizing plan.
Why do pilgrims visiting Côn Sơn and Kiếp Bạc continue downstream to Đồng Bằng Temple?
Many pilgrim groups visit Côn Sơn and Kiếp Bạc temples in Hải Dương on the 20th of the eighth month, then travel downstream to Đồng Bằng Temple within the 20th to 26th window[1][2]. The reason is that both festival clusters belong to the worship lineage of Đức Thánh Trần Hưng Đạo, so the journey from Côn Sơn and Kiếp Bạc to Đồng Bằng Temple forms one continuous route during the "thang Tam gio cha" occasion[1][2].
Côn Sơn and Kiếp Bạc are in Hải Dương, while Đồng Bằng Temple sits beside the ancient Mai Diêm river, formerly in Đào Động hamlet, Vọng Lỗ canton, Phụ Phượng district, before 7/2025 Đồng Bằng hamlet, An Lễ commune, Quỳnh Phụ district, Thái Bình province, now part of Hưng Yên province[1][2]. Under current administrative place names after 1/7/2025, this area now belongs to Hưng Yên province (before 7/2025 it was An Lễ commune, Quỳnh Phụ district, Thái Bình province). The reference sources collected all use the old place names and do not give the new commune or ward names, so this article keeps the old names with their time markers and does not guess the new administrative unit names.
Who is worshipped at Đồng Bằng Temple?
Đồng Bằng Temple worships King Father Bát Hải Động Đình, a deity tied to the Four Palaces belief, whom a Hưng Yên provincial tourism source records as having helped the Hung Kings fight foreign invaders, gather people, establish hamlets, and build the country from its earliest days[2]. The temple also commemorates Hưng Đạo Đại Vương Trần Quốc Tuấn and Tran dynasty generals who led the people to victory in three campaigns against the Yuan Mongol forces[2].
The Đồng Bằng Temple Festival is therefore highly syncretic, blending and interweaving many local folk beliefs, from water deity worship to Father worship, Mother worship, and worship of national heroes such as General Trần Hưng Đạo and Phạm Ngũ Lão[1]. The Government Electronic Newspaper source also records that the festival is tied to the worship of Mother Sinh temples and the Quan deities in the surrounding area[1].
Legend of the worshipped deity
Legend tells that King Father Bát Hải Động Đình was a deity who helped the Hung Kings fight foreign invaders, gather people, establish hamlets, and build the country from its earliest days[2]. This is a folk legend tied to water deity worship, not verified historical record. Modern research generally reads this legend as a layer of cultural memory about the river deities of Northern Delta residents, rather than treating it as a record of events.
Who was inscribed, and when?
On 16/9/2016, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed Decision No. 3247/QD-BVHTTDL inscribing the Đồng Bằng Temple Festival on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list[1][2]. The ceremony to receive the decision was held in An Lễ commune, Quỳnh Phụ district, Thái Bình province on 9/10/2017, combined with the 2017 Traditional Festival[1].
Earlier, in 1986, the Đồng Bằng Temple historical and cultural relic was recognized and granted a National Historical and Cultural Relic certificate by the Ministry of Culture[2].
Festival schedule by lunar date
The table below records only the milestones that the reference sources state clearly; cells the sources do not mention are left blank.
| Lunar date | Rituals, activities | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 20th of eighth month | Festival opening, pilgrimage to Côn Sơn and Kiếp Bạc temples; folk saying "gio cha thi ve" (return for father's death anniversary) | Côn Sơn Temple, Kiếp Bạc Temple (Hải Dương); Đồng Bằng Temple (Hưng Yên) |
| 20th to 26th of eighth month | Đồng Bằng Temple Festival, including solemn rituals such as hat van and hau dong performance, and offerings; visitors join folk games: boat racing, tug of war, xiangqi, wrestling, cockfighting | Đồng Bằng Temple |
| 25th of eighth month | Folk saying "nho ve Dao thon" (remember to return to Dao hamlet) | Đồng Bằng Temple |
| 26th of eighth month | Final day within the festival window according to the sources | Đồng Bằng Temple |
The rituals recorded by the Government Electronic Newspaper and the Hưng Yên provincial tourism source include: processions from satellite temples to the Đức Vua Temple, incense offering, gong and drum opening, hat van and hau dong performance, and offerings[1][2]. Besides the ritual portion, locals and visitors can also enjoy and join distinctive folk games: boat racing, tug of war, xiangqi, wrestling, cockfighting[2].
What is special about Đồng Bằng Temple's architecture and location?
The temple sits beside the ancient Mai Diêm river, in Đào Động hamlet, Vọng Lỗ canton, Phụ Phượng district, before 7/2025 Đồng Bằng hamlet, An Lễ commune, Quỳnh Phụ district, Thái Bình province, now part of Hưng Yên province[1][2]. The Hưng Yên provincial tourism source describes the temple as a historical relic with artistic architecture, valuable as a museum of wooden architectural art[2]. Its location beside the ancient river also matches the water deity worship layer of this land.
Why is the festival considered a form of syncretic cultural activity?
Both sources emphasize that the Đồng Bằng Temple Festival is a distinctive form of folk cultural activity and highly syncretic, blending and interweaving many local folk beliefs, from water deity worship to Father worship, Mother worship, and worship of national heroes[1][2]. This syncretism gives the festival a Four Palaces belief layer, a Tran dynasty commemoration layer, and a community activity layer of Northern Delta agricultural residents.
The Government Electronic Newspaper source records that the festival has great significance for spiritual life, meets the people's healthy religious needs, and has become a spiritual tourism destination attracting many visitors, contributing to cultural, tourism, and economic development and improving community life in the former Quỳnh Phụ area of Thái Bình, now part of Hưng Yên province[1].
What should festival-goers keep in mind?
The 20th to 26th of the eighth lunar month is the window recorded by the reference sources, but the specific schedule each year may be adjusted. Visitors should check the current year's organizing plan published by the locality to know the opening day, main festival day, and activities on each day[2].
The sources also differ slightly on administrative place names, because the documents were written before and after administrative unit adjustments. When looking up information, it is best to cross-check both old and current names to avoid confusion.
