When and where do the Ky Cung and Ta Phu Temple Festivals take place?
The Ky Cung and Ta Phu Temple Festivals (also called the Ky Cung, Ta Phu Festival, or the traditional Ta Phu, Ky Cung Temple Festival) run from the 22nd to the 27th of the first lunar month each year, at two temples on the Ky Cung River in Lang Son city, Lang Son province1. Ky Cung Temple is now in Dong Kinh ward and Ta Phu Temple is now in Ky Lua ward (current administrative ward names; earlier sources record Ky Cung Temple in Vinh Trai ward and Ta Phu Temple in Hoang Van Thuy ward)123.
Kind of knowledge: DocumentedHistorical record. Backed by a document, a date and a source; the note number beside it points to that source. The five labelsKy Cung Temple was built around the Later Le period, originally a small shrine to Than Giao Long, the deity of the Ky Cung River; over time it came to worship Quan Lon Tuan Tranh, an official sent to guard the frontier at Lang Son12. Ta Phu Temple was built in the 4th year of Chinh Hoa (1683) by the people of 7 wards of Lang Son and merchants from 13 provinces of China to honour Ta Do doc Han Quan cong Than Cong Tai23.
Why is the Quan Lon Tuan Tranh palanquin carried from Ky Cung Temple to Ta Phu Temple?
The palanquin holding the incense bowl of Quan Lon Tuan Tranh is carried from Ky Cung Temple to Ta Phu Temple to thank Ta Do doc Han Quan cong Than Cong Tai, who in legend cleared Quan Lon Tuan Tranh of a wrongful charge1. This is seen as the thread binding the two relics into one shared festival, which is why the festival carries both names: the traditional Ky Cung, Ta Phu Temple Festival, or the traditional Ta Phu, Ky Cung Temple Festival1.
Kind of knowledge: School: Truyền thuyết địa phươngSchool's interpretation. How one school or one book reads it; other schools may read it differently. The five labelsAccording to the story recorded by the sources, Quan Lon Tuan Tranh suffered a wrongful accusation and was vindicated by Han Quan cong Than Cong Tai. So, to repay that debt, each year during the festival the incense bowl of Quan Lon Tuan Tranh is carried by local people from Ky Cung Temple to Ta Phu Temple, where Han Quan cong is worshipped, to join the Dau phao festival and give thanks to the one who cleared him1.
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. Kind of knowledge: DocumentedHistorical record. Backed by a document, a date and a source; the note number beside it points to that source. The five labelsWhat has documentary basis and is recognised by state sources is the building of Ta Phu Temple in the 4th year of Chinh Hoa (1683) and Than Cong Tai'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 Ky Lua market town23.
The two temples in the festival: a quick comparison
| Criterion | Ky Cung Temple | Ta Phu Temple |
|---|---|---|
| Current ward | Dong Kinh ward, Lang Son province | Ky Lua ward, Lang Son province |
| Ward name in older sources | Vinh Trai ward | Hoang Van Thuy ward |
| Worshipped figure | Originally Than Giao Long (deity of the Ky Cung River); now Quan Lon Tuan Tranh | Ta Do doc Han Quan cong Than Cong Tai |
| Year built per sources | Around the Later Le period | 4th year of Chinh Hoa (1683) |
| Status | National relic, 1993 | National relic, 1993 |
Sources: articles by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Nhan Dan newspaper123.
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 rite12. At noon on the 22nd of the first lunar month, the palanquin holding the incense bowl of Quan Lon Tuan Tranh is carried solemnly from Ky Cung Temple to Ta Phu Temple. On the 27th, the palanquin is carried back to Ky Cung Temple1.
| Day (first lunar month) | Main content |
|---|---|
| 22 | Opening ceremony; at noon, the palanquin of Quan Lon Tuan Tranh's incense bowl carried from Ky Cung Temple to Ta Phu 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 Ky Cung River (per 2026 information) |
| 27 | Morning firecracker-head scramble; palanquin of Quan Lon Tuan Tranh carried back to Ky Cung Temple; installation and farewell rites |
Table compiled from the sources123. 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 26th23.
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 month1. Kind of knowledge: Folk beliefFolk belief. What people believe, avoid or pass on by word of mouth, recorded as a belief, not as a checked fact. The five labelsAccording 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 clan1. This is a folk belief, not something verified.
Kind of knowledge: School: Truyền thuyết địa phươngSchool's interpretation. How one school or one book reads it; other schools may read it differently. The five labelsOn the origin of the Dau phao festival, local people tell that during the time Ta Do doc Han Quan cong Than Cong Tai 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 there1.
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 singing12. The 2026 source adds sli, luon and lay co singing to the festival part3. These activities draw large participation from all classes of people in Lang Son city and visitors from elsewhere12.
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 Lang Son city, not a festival of one ethnic group alone23. It is also an occasion for people to show gratitude for the merits of Ta Do doc Han Quan cong Than Cong Tai and Quan Lon De ngu Tuan Tranh, who had merit in defeating invaders and keeping peace for the people23.
Kind of knowledge: DocumentedHistorical record. Backed by a document, a date and a source; the note number beside it points to that source. The five labelsIn 1993, the two relics Ky Cung Temple and Ta Phu Temple were ranked national by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism); in 2015, the Ky Cung and Ta Phu Temple Festivals were added to the national list of intangible cultural heritage123.
Preservation and promotion of the heritage
Kind of knowledge: DocumentedHistorical record. Backed by a document, a date and a source; the note number beside it points to that source. The five labelsIn 2018, Ky Cung Temple (then recorded as Vinh Trai 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 funding1. From 2019, Lang Son'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 Ky Cung River1. In 2023, the department opened 10 classes teaching Then, Sli and Luon folk melodies and lion-cat dances, along with traditional embroidery and weaving1.
Points to keep in mind when researching
First, the festival is tied to two worshipped figures, but only the part concerning Than Cong Tai and the building of the temple in 1683 has documentary traces and is recognised by state sources; the story of clearing Quan Lon Tuan Tranh is legend123. 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 confusion123.
