On which days does the Dong Bang Temple Festival take place?
The Dong Bang Temple Festival, also called the Duc Vua Temple Festival or Duc Vua Cha Bat Hai Dong Dinh Temple Festival, runs from the 20th to the 26th day of the eighth lunar month each year12. 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 Bat Hai Dong Dinh and that of Duc Thanh Tran Hung Dao12.
A folk verse recorded by a Hung Yen 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 26th12. Not all sources record the same opening and closing dates, so visitors should check the current year's organizing plan.
Why do pilgrims visiting Con Son and Kiep Bac continue downstream to Dong Bang Temple?
Many pilgrim groups visit Con Son and Kiep Bac temples in Hai Duong on the 20th of the eighth month, then travel downstream to Dong Bang Temple within the 20th to 26th window12. The reason is that both festival clusters belong to the worship lineage of Duc Thanh Tran Hung Dao, so the journey from Con Son and Kiep Bac to Dong Bang Temple forms one continuous route during the "thang Tam gio cha" occasion12.
Con Son and Kiep Bac are in Hai Duong, while Dong Bang Temple sits beside the ancient Mai Diem river, formerly in Dao Dong hamlet, Vong Lo canton, Phu Phuong district, now Dong Bang hamlet, An Le commune, Quynh Phu district, Thai Binh province12. Under current administrative place names after 1/7/2025, this area now belongs to Hung Yen province (before 7/2025 it was An Le commune, Quynh Phu district, Thai Binh 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 Dong Bang Temple?
Dong Bang Temple worships King Father Bat Hai Dong Dinh, a deity tied to the Four Palaces belief, whom a Hung Yen provincial tourism source records as having helped the Hung Kings fight foreign invaders, gather people, establish hamlets, and build the country from its earliest days2. The temple also commemorates Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan and Tran dynasty generals who led the people to victory in three campaigns against the Yuan Mongol forces2.
The Dong Bang 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 Tran Hung Dao and Pham Ngu Lao1. 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 area1.
Legend of the worshipped deity
知识类别: 流派：Four Palaces belief流派解读. 某一流派或某部典籍的理解；其他流派可能理解不同。 五类标签Legend tells that King Father Bat Hai Dong Dinh was a deity who helped the Hung Kings fight foreign invaders, gather people, establish hamlets, and build the country from its earliest days2. 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 Dong Bang Temple Festival on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list12. The ceremony to receive the decision was held in An Le commune, Quynh Phu district, Thai Binh province on 9/10/2017, combined with the 2017 Traditional Festival1.
Earlier, in 1986, the Dong Bang Temple historical and cultural relic was recognized and granted a National Historical and Cultural Relic certificate by the Ministry of Culture2.
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 Con Son and Kiep Bac temples; folk saying "gio cha thi ve" (return for father's death anniversary) | Con Son Temple, Kiep Bac Temple (Hai Duong); Dong Bang Temple (Hung Yen) |
| 20th to 26th of eighth month | Dong Bang 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 | Dong Bang Temple |
| 25th of eighth month | Folk saying "nho ve Dao thon" (remember to return to Dao hamlet) | Dong Bang Temple |
| 26th of eighth month | Final day within the festival window according to the sources | Dong Bang Temple |
The rituals recorded by the Government Electronic Newspaper and the Hung Yen provincial tourism source include: processions from satellite temples to the Duc Vua Temple, incense offering, gong and drum opening, hat van and hau dong performance, and offerings12. Besides the ritual portion, locals and visitors can also enjoy and join distinctive folk games: boat racing, tug of war, xiangqi, wrestling, cockfighting2.
What is special about Dong Bang Temple's architecture and location?
The temple sits beside the ancient Mai Diem river, in Dao Dong hamlet, Vong Lo canton, Phu Phuong district, now Dong Bang hamlet, An Le commune, Quynh Phu district, Thai Binh province12. The Hung Yen provincial tourism source describes the temple as a historical relic with artistic architecture, valuable as a museum of wooden architectural art2. 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 Dong Bang 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 heroes12. 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 Quynh Phu, Thai Binh1.
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 day2.
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.
