When and where does the Tien Cong Festival take place?
The Tien Cong Festival is a traditional festival of residents on Ha Nam Island, Quang Ninh province, held annually during Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year). According to Bao Quang Ninh, the festival begins on the 4th and lasts until the 7th day of the first lunar month, with the 7th being the most crowded and vibrant main day1. Bao Thanh Nien in 2026 also recorded that the festival is held from the 5th to the 7th day of the first lunar month annually at the Tien Cong Shrine National Relic Site2. Thus, the sources agree on the festival period, differing only in the starting point mentioned.
Kind of knowledge: CalendarCalendar fact. Computed by calendar arithmetic, and checkable against a printed almanac or an independent calculation. The five labelsThe festival space spreads across Phong Coc, Phong Hai, and Yen Hai wards and Cam La commune, centered on the Tien Cong Shrine relic in Cam La commune along with the clan ancestral halls of the Tien Cong families that have been ranked as national relics1. Bao Thanh Nien in 2026 recorded that the Tien Cong Shrine belongs to Phong Coc ward, Quang Ninh province (before July 2025 it belonged to Quang Yen town)2. VOV1 in 2025 also recorded the festival area as comprising four wards: Phong Coc, Phong Hai, Yen Hai, and Cam La, under Quang Yen town3. The different ways sources record place names reflect both old administrative names and names used after reorganization; readers should cross-check according to the date of each article.
Who is worshipped at the Tien Cong Shrine?
Kind of knowledge: SchoolSchool's interpretation. How one school or one book reads it; other schools may read it differently. The five labelsThe Tien Cong Shrine worships 17 Tien Cong, the first people to build sea dykes and reclaim land to establish the villages of Phong Coc, Cam La, Yen Dong, and Trung Ban1. According to stele inscriptions and genealogies cited by Bao Quang Ninh, from around 1434 to 1500, 17 Tien Cong from Kim Hoa ward (now Kim Lien ward), Tho Xuong district, Hoai Duc prefecture, Thang Long citadel, together with their families, followed the Red River downstream to the Bach Dang estuary to seek a livelihood1. Initially they lived on boats catching shrimp and fish, then stopped at a tidal flat, cleared the land, converted it into rice fields, and founded villages1.
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 labelsThe list of 17 Tien Cong recorded by Bao Quang Ninh includes: Vu Song, Vu Hong Tiem, Bui Huy Ngoan, Ngo Bach Doan, Nguyen Phuc Coc, Nguyen Phuc Thang, Nguyen Phuc Vinh, Le Khep, Le Mo, Vu Tam Tinh, Vu Giai, Nguyen Nghe, Nguyen Thuc, Bui Bach Nien, Pham Viet, Duong Quang Tin, Duong Quang Tan. Two figures, Hoang Nong and Hoang Nenh from Tra Ly (Nam Dinh), are recorded as the Tien Cong who cleared land to found Trung Ban village, later merged into Phong Luu commune1.
How is the legend of the Tien Cong founding villages told?
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 labelsThe story of how the Tien Cong discovered fresh water and decided to stop and found villages is passed down among the people of Ha Nam Island. According to the account recorded by Bao Quang Ninh, one night, the group took shelter on a raised mound of the tidal flat, heard frogs croaking, knew this place had fresh water, and decided to stop and reclaim the land1. This interpretation has the color of legend explaining the origin of villages; it is not verified historical documentation and should be read as part of community memory. The trace mentioned is a freshwater pond about 1,000m west of the Tien Cong Shrine, called "Ho Mach" by the locals1.
How does the Tien Cong Festival proceed?
The rituals of the Tien Cong Festival take place in sequence from the 4th to the end of the main day, tied to each Tien Cong clan and to the Tien Cong Shrine. The table below summarizes the sequence according to Bao Quang Ninh's records.
| Day | Ritual | Location | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th of the first month | Le Ra co ho, also called Le te To (ancestral offering) | Clan ancestral hall of the Tien Cong | Family of the elder, clan council |
| 5th of the first month | Preparation of longevity celebration: decorating the grounds, brocade robes, scarves embroidered with the character for longevity, longevity staffs | At home | Descendants in families with elderly parents reaching longevity age |
| 6th of the first month | Longevity celebration for the elder at home; some families organize a procession carrying the elder in a red hammock to the Tien Cong Shrine for ancestral worship, called Ruoc tho, Ruoc nguoi | At home and at the Tien Cong Shrine | Family, clan, villagers |
| 7th of the first month | Main festival: carrying elders to the shrine to report; the custom of quan tram sons-in-law receiving fathers-in-law; the rite of elders building dykes and wrestling; the closing ceremony at noon | Tien Cong Shrine and roads in the area | Elders, descendants, ritual delegation representing the Four Communes, residents and visitors |
What is the meaning of Le Ra co ho on the 4th of the first month?
Le Ra co ho, or Le te To, is held by the Tien Cong clans on the 4th day of the first lunar month, and according to Bao Quang Ninh this is the largest ritual at the Tien Cong ancestral halls during the year1. The elder's family brings offerings to both paternal and maternal clan halls to respectfully report to the Tien Cong and ancestors who bestowed blessings for the elder to reach the longevity seat, and to inform the clan council that this year the elder reaches longevity age and invite the clan council to the longevity celebration at home1. As recorded, this ceremony is both a prayer for the Tien Cong and ancestors to bless descendants with a prosperous new year, and an occasion to offer to the Tien Cong and ancestors at the ancestral hall, and also a clan festival day1.
What is prepared on the 5th and 6th of the first month?
On the 5th of the first month, descendants in families with elderly parents reaching longevity age prepare to decorate the family grounds according to traditional longevity celebration rites, prepare brocade robes, scarves embroidered with the character for longevity, and longevity staffs for their parents, along with tables, chairs, and offerings for the next day's home longevity ceremony1. On the 6th of the first month, families that do not organize a procession carrying the elder to the Tien Cong Shrine organize a ritual delegation to escort the elder to the shrine to worship the ancestors and give thanks to the Tien Cong1. Families with means join with their clan and villagers to organize a procession carrying the elder in a red hammock to the Tien Cong Shrine for ancestral worship, called the Ruoc tho, Ruoc nguoi rite1. Preparation of offerings, ceremonial objects, costumes, music teams, and red hammocks and palanquins for the procession is carried out months before the festival1.
Why is it called the festival of carrying the elderly, the longevity procession?
The rite of carrying the elderly, the longevity procession, is the most unique highlight of the Tien Cong Festival. According to Bao Quang Ninh, this is the most unique rite in the whole country, expressing reverence and honoring of the Tien Cong and carrying deep cultural identity of residents of the Bach Dang estuary1. Elders reaching longevity age are carried to the shrine to report to their forebears, in traditional costumes, formal ao dai, and khan xep headpieces, escorted by their descendants in red hammocks or gilded palanquins2. According to VOV1, elders exactly 80, 90, and 100 years old are carried on dragon palanquins and red hammocks, parading solemnly amid festival drums and the joy of generations of descendants3.
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 labelsElderly residents in the area recount that living amid harsh nature, constantly fighting natural disasters and storms, longevity is extremely precious, so when elders reach 80, 90, or 100 years old, their clan and family organize a procession to the Tien Cong Shrine to report to the ancestors, considering it a great blessing of the family and clan3. This rite is preserved and promoted by the people of Ha Nam Island and has become a festival with the spiritual value of remembering the source when drinking water3.
What is the custom of quan tram, sons-in-law receiving fathers-in-law?
Another unique feature that gives the Tien Cong Festival its own identity is the custom of quan tram, sons-in-law. According to Bao Thanh Nien, along the procession route, families with married daughters set up solemn rest stations to receive fathers-in-law reaching longevity age; sons-in-law respectfully offer tea, betel, and longevity wishes, expressing gratitude and filial respect to their wives' parents2. The newspaper also recorded the case of Mr. Ngo Dinh Dung (55 years old, Quang Yen ward) who carefully prepared a rest station to receive his father-in-law, Mr. Vu Van Hai (90 years old), in a space decorated with flags and flowers, respectfully offering tea and inviting him to rest before the procession continued to the shrine2.
The rite of dyke building and wrestling by the elders
After the Tien Cong ceremony, villagers invite two still-healthy elders to the front of the Tien Cong Shrine to perform the dyke-building rite. Villagers build a small symbolic dyke in front of the shrine, prepare square-cut clods of earth for the elders to place on the dyke; this rite is also called the ground-breaking ceremony1. After this rite, families and villages may dig canals, repair dykes, and plow; previously, families with a death during Tet also had to wait until after the ground-breaking ceremony to hold funerals and dig graves1.
Next, the elders perform the wrestling rite: the two elders only make the motion of winding around a few times, then hug and spin once or twice; whichever elder is strong enough to lift the other off the ground wins1. As recorded, the dyke-building and wrestling rites of the elders carry the meaning of reminding and educating descendants to exercise, build dykes, do irrigation, and fight rainstorms and rising tides to protect the village and the ancestral worship halls of their forebears1.
What activities are in the festive portion?
Besides the ritual portion, the festive portion of the Tien Cong Festival is also rich with cultural activities and folk games: swinging, cockfighting, human chess, to tom diem cards, dum singing, wrestling, and dyke building1. According to Bao Quang Ninh, the festival meets the needs of community cultural life, spiritual life, education in the tradition of remembering the source when drinking water, and the entertainment needs of the people at the start of spring1. At noon on the main day, the ritual delegation representing the Four Communes holds the closing ceremony, ending the festival1.
When was the Tien Cong Festival recognized as 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 labelsThe Tien Cong Festival on Ha Nam Island was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017, according to Decision 1852/QD-BVHTTDL dated May 8, 201713. According to Bao Quang Ninh, the festival has been preserved and promoted by the people for over 300 years, and holding it annually has become a unique tourism product of Quang Yen1.
Number of elders participating in the festival over the years
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 labelsThe number of elders participating in the procession varies each year. According to Bao Thanh Nien, at Tet Binh Ngo in 2026, about 250 elderly people respectfully called cu Thuong participated in the procession, including 7 exactly 100 years old (1 man, 6 women), 35 at 90 (16 men, 19 women), and the rest turning 802. According to VOV1, the 2025 Tien Cong Festival took place from the 5th to the 7th of the first month of the At Ty year, that is, from February 2 to 4, 2025; at the main festival, more than 100 elders reaching exactly 80, 90, and 100 years old came to the Tien Cong Shrine to lead the ceremony3. Also according to VOV1, in spring 2025 Quang Yen town had more than 3,360 elderly people given longevity wishes, including 32 exactly 100 years old congratulated by the President and 350 exactly 90, 95, and over 100 years old3.
What changed in the 2025 Tien Cong Festival?
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 labelsA new feature of the 2025 Tien Cong Festival was that most families performed collective processions instead of individual processions as in many previous years3. Collective processions were organized by ward and commune and entered the shrine in turn, offering offerings, incense, flowers, and bowing to the Tien Cong; offerings are in odd numbers and must include roasted pig, banh day, flowers, fruit, and local agricultural products3. Mr. Nguyen The Nham, Chairman of the People's Committee of Phong Coc ward, said this was the first year the ward organized a collective procession, the State supported 50 million VND for a collective procession, with the rest mobilized from socialized resources, because if a family organized its own procession the cost would be about 150 to 200 million VND3. Mrs. Duong Thi Dung, Head of the Organizing Committee of the 2025 Tien Cong Festival, said that year marked 591 years since the Tien Cong founded villages and hamlets, and Quang Yen town assigned the People's Committee of Cam La commune to chair the festival3.
