TL;DR: The Làm Chay Festival, also called Làm Chay Muoi Sau, is a traditional festival in Tầm Vu, Tây Ninh, held around the full moon of the first lunar month at Tân Xuân communal house and nearby sites. The Department of Cultural Heritage records it on the 15th and 16th of the first lunar month, while some reports say from the 14th to the 16th. It commemorates fallen patriots and offers prayers for the dead in Buddhist ritual, and was inscribed on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2014 under Decision 4205/QD-BVHTTDL, though some press reports give 2015.
What Is the Làm Chay Festival in Tầm Vu and When Does It Take Place?
The Làm Chay Festival is a traditional festival of the people of Tầm Vu commune, Tây Ninh province, held annually around the full moon of the first lunar month at Tân Xuân communal house and several nearby sites. The name "Làm Chay," according to Báo Tây Ninh, is a mispronunciation of the term "trai dan," a Buddhist rite for the dead[2]. The area was formerly Tầm Vu town, Châu Thành district, Long An province; after administrative reorganization, it is now Tầm Vu commune, Tây Ninh province.
Sources do not fully agree on the dates. The Department of Cultural Heritage records the festival on the 15th and 16th of the first lunar month[1]. A Tuổi Trẻ report from March 2026 says it runs from the 14th to the 16th[3]. Báo Tây Ninh also lists three days, the 14th, 15th and 16th[2]. Readers should take the 15th and 16th as the two main days according to the heritage file, while preparation and opening activities may start earlier on the 14th.
Which Historical Event Is the Origin of the Làm Chay Festival Linked To?
According to Báo Tây Ninh, in the latter half of the 19th century, when the French colonialists occupied Tầm Vu, many patriotic uprisings broke out but were suppressed, including two scholars Đỗ Tường Tự and Đỗ Tường Phong who were executed by firing squad. The colonial authorities then banned residents from holding funerals or mourning. The people of Tầm Vu borrowed the form of "trai dan," a Buddhist rite for the dead, to commemorate the fallen patriots and pray for peace for the village[2].
The Department of Cultural Heritage also records that the festival is held to worship the fallen patriots of the anti-French patriotic movement in the latter half of the 19th century, to pray for wandering souls, and to pray for peace for the people and the village[1].
The legend and folk accounts about Đỗ Tường Tự and Đỗ Tường Phong being executed and the villagers establishing a trai dan are retold by Báo Tây Ninh based on "historical records and the accounts of local elders"[2]. This article reports only to the extent the source provides and does not confirm the dates or specific details as independently verified events.
How does the Làm Chay Festival unfold in chronological order?
The sequence below is compiled from the descriptions of the Department of Cultural Heritage and news reports, arranged by time within the two main days. The time markers are only relative because the organizers may adjust them each year.
| Time | Ritual or activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| About one month before the festival | Preparing the Ong Tieu figure, building the gian, making the Long Đình - Tứ Châu, the phong dang boat | Tân Xuân communal house, Linh Phước pagoda |
| Morning of the 15th | Welcoming Ong Tieu from Linh Phước pagoda to Ong pagoda for people to worship | Linh Phước pagoda, Ong pagoda |
| 15th | Welcoming the Buddha, welcoming sutras, procession of the Shakyamuni Buddha statue and the two Bodhisattvas Ananda and Kasyapa to the communal house; offering incense, silent tribute, striking gongs and drums to call souls at the martyrs' monument | Tân Xuân communal house, martyrs' monument |
| 15th | Chanting sutras for peace; offering sacrifices to martyrs; raising the martyrs' banner | Tân Xuân communal house |
| Night of the 15th | Amateur music exchange, flower float parade around the commune center | From Tân Xuân communal house around Tầm Vu commune |
| 16th | Folk games: blindfolded pot hitting, tug of war, duck catching, sack races, greased pole climbing; sports activities | Communal house yard, Tầm Vu river |
| 16th | Offering to wandering souls at Âm Nhơn shrine; offering trays of cakes; raising Ong Tieu onto the gian | Âm Nhơn shrine, Tân Xuân communal house |
| 16th | Chieu u gan (walking) and chieu u xa (by vehicle) | From the communal house, from Tầm Vu market |
| 16th | Scene of welcoming sutras, drumming, welcoming the master (Tang Sanzang and disciples); phong dang on Tầm Vu river | Tầm Vu river |
| Midnight of the 16th | Xo gian, seeing off guests, burning Ong Tieu; releasing paper boats to send off wandering souls | Communal house yard, Tầm Vu river |
What are the main rituals of the Làm Chay Festival?
Welcoming Ong Tieu and the Figure of Tiêu Diện Đại Si
The main object of the festival is Ong Tieu, or Tiêu Diện Đại Si, who in Buddhism and folk belief is an incarnation of Quan The Am Bodhisattva, the head and ruler of the world of ghosts[1]. The Ong Tieu figure is elaborate, about 2 meters tall, wearing armor, with horns on the head, many faces on the body, and notably a pink paper tongue nearly half a meter long[1]. The figure is prepared a month before the festival and kept at Linh Phước pagoda before being carried to the communal house[1].
Chieu U and Offerings to Wandering Souls
According to the Department of Cultural Heritage, the chieu u rite (offering to wandering souls) includes chieu u gan and chieu u xa. Chieu u gan starts from the communal house and goes on foot in four directions; chieu u xa starts from Tầm Vu market by coach, with an incense-offering ceremony at the district martyrs' cemetery[1]. Offerings to wandering souls at Âm Nhơn shrine include a pig that has been bled, shaved and opened but with organs left intact, along with rice, salt, a plate of blood, cakes, fruit, and joss paper; after the offering, the items are taken to the communal house to be cooked and served to guests[1].
Phong Dang on the Tầm Vu River
The phong dang rite aims at enlightenment and liberation of sentient beings and takes place on the Tầm Vu river. The dang boat is elaborately decorated, with an altar holding a memorial tablet and a tray of offerings. At the bow stand four people playing the roles of yakshas, Ong Dia, Kim Đồng and Ngọc Nữ. While the yakshas and Ong Dia dance with fire whips on the dang boat on the river, monks chant sutras on the shore. The dang boat moves out onto the river to release coconut shells filled with oil-soaked sand and set them alight[1].
Xo Gian, Seeing Off Guests and Burning Ong Tieu
The most important ritual is xo gian and seeing off guests, held at midnight on the 16th. Offerings on the gian are scattered and distributed to children, then the Ong Tieu figure is burned along with joss paper. A paper boat with a bamboo frame on a banana raft, carrying offerings, is tasked with seeing off guests (wandering souls) and is released downstream on the Tầm Vu river after a drum farewell. The escort group returns to the communal house to bring the incense burner back to Âm Nhơn shrine, ending the festival[1].
In recent years, to ensure security and order, the organizers have changed the form of xo gian from scrambling for offerings to distributing them, sharing the offerings equally with attendees instead of letting people rush in[3]. However, according to Tuổi Trẻ, the zodiac animal of each year is still chosen as the decoration theme across the festival spaces, such as the horse image for the Bính Ngọ year 2026[3].
What happens during the festive part and folk games?
Alongside the rituals, the festival features many cultural and artistic activities and folk games. According to the Department of Cultural Heritage, on the 16th the community joins games such as blindfolded pot hitting, tug of war, duck catching, sack races, greased pole climbing, and sports such as cross-country running, slow bicycle racing, volleyball and football[1]. The duck catching game is held at Ghe Đăng wharf behind Tầm Vu market, with ducks released into the Tầm Vu river for young people to swim and catch[3]. Báo Tây Ninh also records the festive part with lion dances, classical opera, tug of war, duck catching, pot hitting, and flower float parades[2].
In addition, the festival includes rites of sacrifice to martyrs led by Cao Đài followers and a martyrs' banner-raising rite presided over by a senior Buddhist monk, chanting sutras and hanging a banner praising the sacrifice of martyrs for the Fatherland[1]. The participation of many religions and beliefs in one festival is a feature noted by the Department of Cultural Heritage[1].
Why Was the Làm Chay Festival Recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage?
The Làm Chay festival was decided by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to be included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2014, under Decision 4205/QD-BVHTTDL dated 19/12/2014, with the name "Le lam chay"[1]. However, a Tuổi Trẻ report from March 2026 says the festival was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2015[3]. This difference may be due to how the year of issuance or the year of the award ceremony is recorded; this article notes both dates for readers to compare.
According to the Department of Cultural Heritage, the Làm Chay festival expresses ethnic, religious and belief harmony, contributes to preserving traditional values and local identity, and embodies the spirit of remembering the source when drinking water, toward the ancestors who had merit in opening the land and founding the settlement, and the heroic martyrs through the periods[1].
What should you note when learning about the Làm Chay Festival?
First, on the name: "Làm Chay" is a mispronunciation of "trai dan" according to Báo Tây Ninh[2]; the name in the national heritage list is "Le lam chay"[1]. Local people also call it "Làm Chay muoi sau" because the main day is the 16th[2].
Second, on spatial scope: the festival is not confined to one communal house but stretches from Tân Xuân communal house to Linh Phước pagoda, Ong pagoda, Dien shrine, Âm Nhơn shrine, Phuong Que Ngoc Dai Holy House, Tầm Vu river and Tầm Vu market[1].
Third, on its nature: it is a festival that carries elements of Buddhist belief, commemoration of patriots and martyrs, and folk festivity. These elements are interwoven in one sequence of rituals, not separate[1][2].
Fourth, on the evidence level of historical details: the details about Đỗ Tường Tự and Đỗ Tường Phong being executed and the villagers using the trai dan as a cover are retold from historical records and local accounts[2], not from independently verified historical documents. When reading articles about the festival, one should distinguish between the ritual part being practiced (observable, recordable) and the legendary origin part (community memory).
