Annual ploughing festival opens in Ha Nam province
The Tich Dien (Ploughing Festival), an annual festival held on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year to pray for a year of bumper harvests, opened in the Red River Delta province of Ha Nam on February 22.
The Tich Dien (Ploughing Festival) opens in Ha Nam province on February 22. (Photo: VNA)
Ha Nam (VNA) – The Tich Dien (Ploughing Festival), an annualfestival held on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year to pray for a year of bumperharvests, opened in the Red River Delta province of Ha Nam on February 22.
The festival dates back to 987 during the Le dynasty when King Le Dai Hanhdecided to plough in Doi Son commune, Duy Tien district to encourage ricecultivation in the locality. The practice then became an annual tradition heldthrough many dynasties before falling into oblivion under the reign of KingKhai Dinh of the Nguyen Dynasty. It was restored in 2009.
Rituals held within the festival include the procession of a huge drum and KingLe Dai Hanh’s ancestral tablet from Long Doi Son pagoda to the foot of the DoiMountain, where it merges with the processions of the village’s guardian godand the father of Doi Tam drum-making. The joint procession then proceeds tothe land where King Le Dai Hanh ploughed to encourage farmers to workdiligently.
This is followed by a ceremony to pay respect to the God of Agriculture to prayfor a high-yield season and prosperity.
Particularly, a respected elderly farmer representing the local people assumedthe role of King Le Dai Hanh to perform praying to the ancestors and the god offarming. The elderly farmer, who was dressed in a nine-dragon hat and royalrobe, then descended to the field to plough. He is followed by a crowd throwinggreen pea, peanut and rice seeds.
Other festive activities are traditional wrestling, drum performances andbuffalo decoration.-VNA
New-year writing, buffalo decorating, Duom Temple and Mother Au Co Festivals are among the many cultural activities that take place across Vietnam in the upcoming festival season of the lunar new year.
The Tich Dien (ploughing) festival in Doi Son commune, the Red River Delta province of Ha Nam, which prays for a bumper harvest, kicked off on February 22.
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The Tich Dien (Ploughing Festival) opens in Ha Nam province on February 22. (Photo: VNA) 
