TL;DR: The Kỳ Cùng and Tả Phủ Temple Festivals in Lạng Sơn take place from the 22nd to the 27th of the first lunar month. They include an opening ceremony, the noon transfer of the Quan Lon Tuần Tranh incense-bowl palanquin from Kỳ Cùng Temple to Tả Phủ Temple on the 22nd, and its return to Kỳ Cùng Temple on the 27th with the firecracker-head scramble. The palanquin is carried to Tả Phủ Temple to thank Tả Đô doc Hán Quận cong Thân Công Tài, who in legend cleared Quan Lon Tuần Tranh of a wrongful charge. Both temples were ranked national relics in 1993, and the festival was listed as national intangible cultural heritage in 2015.
When and where do the Kỳ Cùng and Tả Phủ Temple Festivals take place?
The Kỳ Cùng and Tả Phủ Temple Festivals (also called the Kỳ Cùng, Tả Phủ Festival, or the traditional Tả Phủ, Kỳ Cùng Temple Festival) run from the 22nd to the 27th of the first lunar month each year, at two temples on the Kỳ Cùng River in Lạng Sơn city, Lạng Sơn province[1]. Kỳ Cùng Temple is now in Đông Kinh ward and Tả Phủ Temple is now in Kỳ Lừa ward (current administrative ward names; earlier sources record Kỳ Cùng Temple in Vĩnh Trại ward and Tả Phủ Temple in Hoàng Văn Thuy ward)[1][2][3].
Kỳ Cùng Temple was built around the Later Le period, originally a small shrine to Thần Giao Long, the deity of the Kỳ Cùng River; over time it came to worship Quan Lon Tuần Tranh, an official sent to guard the frontier at Lạng Sơn[1][2]. Tả Phủ Temple was built in the 4th year of Chính Hòa (1683) by the people of 7 wards of Lạng Sơn and merchants from 13 provinces of China to honour Tả Đô doc Hán Quận cong Thân Công Tài[2][3].
Why is the Quan Lon Tuần Tranh palanquin carried from Kỳ Cùng Temple to Tả Phủ Temple?
The palanquin holding the incense bowl of Quan Lon Tuần Tranh is carried from Kỳ Cùng Temple to Tả Phủ Temple to thank Tả Đô doc Hán Quận cong Thân Công Tài, who in legend cleared Quan Lon Tuần Tranh of a wrongful charge[1]. This is seen as the thread binding the two relics into one shared festival, which is why the festival carries both names: the traditional Kỳ Cùng, Tả Phủ Temple Festival, or the traditional Tả Phủ, Kỳ Cùng Temple Festival[1].
According to the story recorded by the sources, Quan Lon Tuần Tranh suffered a wrongful accusation and was vindicated by Hán Quận cong Thân Công Tài. So, to repay that debt, each year during the festival the incense bowl of Quan Lon Tuần Tranh is carried by local people from Kỳ Cùng Temple to Tả Phủ Temple, where Hán Quận cong is worshipped, to join the Dau phao festival and give thanks to the one who cleared him[1].
A clear distinction is needed: the story of the wrongful charge cleared is a folk legend attached to the two worshipped figures, not a verified historical event. What has documentary basis and is recognised by state sources is the building of Tả Phủ Temple in the 4th year of Chính Hòa (1683) and Thân Công Tài's role in expanding the market, trade and exchange between Vietnam and China in the late 17th century, opening 7 roads and 7 wards for the Kỳ Lừa market town[2][3].
The two temples in the festival: a quick comparison
| Criterion | Kỳ Cùng Temple | Tả Phủ Temple |
|---|---|---|
| Current ward | Đông Kinh ward, Lạng Sơn province | Kỳ Lừa ward, Lạng Sơn province |
| Ward name in older sources | Vĩnh Trại ward | Hoàng Văn Thuy ward |
| Worshipped figure | Originally Thần Giao Long (deity of the Kỳ Cùng River); now Quan Lon Tuần Tranh | Tả Đô doc Hán Quận cong Thân Công Tài |
| Year built per sources | Around the Later Le period | 4th year of Chính Hòa (1683) |
| Status | National relic, 1993 | National relic, 1993 |
Sources: articles by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Nhân Dân newspaper[1][2][3].
Festival sequence from the 22nd to the 27th of the first lunar month
The main ritual part centres on the 22nd and the 27th of the first lunar month, including the opening ceremony, the reception and installation rites, and the farewell rite[1][2]. At noon on the 22nd of the first lunar month, the palanquin holding the incense bowl of Quan Lon Tuần Tranh is carried solemnly from Kỳ Cùng Temple to Tả Phủ Temple. On the 27th, the palanquin is carried back to Kỳ Cùng Temple[1].
| Day (first lunar month) | Main content |
|---|---|
| 22 | Opening ceremony; at noon, the palanquin of Quan Lon Tuần Tranh's incense bowl carried from Kỳ Cùng Temple to Tả Phủ Temple |
| 24 | Evening arts performance (per 2025 information) |
| 26 | Arts programme on the evening of the 26th; competitions in making banh giay and banh ngai; raft race on the Kỳ Cùng River (per 2026 information) |
| 27 | Morning firecracker-head scramble; palanquin of Quan Lon Tuần Tranh carried back to Kỳ Cùng Temple; installation and farewell rites |
Table compiled from the sources[1][2][3]. Supporting activities may change year to year; the 2025 source records an arts evening on the 24th, the 2026 source an arts programme on the evening of the 26th[2][3].
What is special in the festival part?
The most striking element is the firecracker-head scramble on the morning of the 27th of the first lunar month[1]. According to folk belief in the area, the firecracker head is kept and worshipped year-round by the temple household; whoever wins it and takes it home to worship is believed to bring good luck and prosperity to family and clan[1]. This is a folk belief, not something verified.
On the origin of the Dau phao festival, local people tell that during the time Tả Đô doc Hán Quận cong Thân Công Tài held office, bandits rose up one year and harassed the people; he mobilised the garrison together with the people to defeat them, then had the people hold an annual victory festival in early spring, and the Dau phao festival began there[1].
The festival part also includes folk games and performances such as Chinese chess, tug of war, stick pushing, martial arts, a food festival, and sli, luon and quan ho singing[1][2]. The 2026 source adds sli, luon and lay co singing to the festival part[3]. These activities draw large participation from all classes of people in Lạng Sơn city and visitors from elsewhere[1][2].
Whose festival is it and what does it mean?
The festival is a coming-together in ritual, palanquin procession and folk games and performances of the ethnic peoples of Lạng Sơn city, not a festival of one ethnic group alone[2][3]. It is also an occasion for people to show gratitude for the merits of Tả Đô doc Hán Quận cong Thân Công Tài and Quan Lon De ngu Tuần Tranh, who had merit in defeating invaders and keeping peace for the people[2][3].
In 1993, the two relics Kỳ Cùng Temple and Tả Phủ Temple were ranked national by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism); in 2015, the Kỳ Cùng and Tả Phủ Temple Festivals were added to the national list of intangible cultural heritage[1][2][3].
Preservation and promotion of the heritage
In 2018, Kỳ Cùng Temple (then recorded as Vĩnh Trại ward) was restored and enlarged, with the main temple area expanded from 285 square metres to 487.3 square metres at a cost of nearly 20 billion dong from socialised funding[1]. From 2019, Lạng Sơn's culture, sports and tourism sector integrated activities into the Culture, Sports and Tourism Week, organised raft races linked to the festival, and planted peach blossoms at several points along the Kỳ Cùng River[1]. In 2023, the department opened 10 classes teaching Then, Sli and Luon folk melodies and lion-cat dances, along with traditional embroidery and weaving[1].
Points to keep in mind when researching
First, the festival is tied to two worshipped figures, but only the part concerning Thân Công Tài and the building of the temple in 1683 has documentary traces and is recognised by state sources; the story of clearing Quan Lon Tuần Tranh is legend[1][2][3]. Second, supporting activities change year to year, so the specific schedule should be checked against local announcements. Third, ward names differ between sources before and after the administrative reorganisation, so when searching it is best to use both current and old names to avoid confusion[1][2][3].
