Thu Le Village Wrestling. Photo:Truong Vung

On spring days, down to the villages across the ancient capital of Vietnam, visitors join the influx of local people to find cheerful smiles during the festive seasons. Some festivals can be cited: the Fairy Swing Festivals in Dien Hoa, Phong Hien (Phong Dien), the Wrestling Festivals at Thu Le in Quang Phuoc Commune (Quang Dien), and at  Sinh Village in Phu Mau (Phu Vang), Princess Huyen Tran Temple Festival (An Tay Ward, Hue City) and so on.

All of them preserve the beauty of belief, religion, spirit and folk culture enduring for hundreds of years. Each festival is associated with a legend of the village customs showing the cultural beauty, and the desire to bring good luck for everyone.

The Thu Le Wrestling Festival in early spring dates back to ancient times. Apart from praying for the peaceful and prosperous country, this festival honors the strong youth, encourages physical exercise, courage, wit and martial spirit. Today, this festival is celebrated regularly on the 6th of annual Lunar New Year. The Sinh Village Wrestling Festival is also similar.

Huyen Tran Temple Festival (An Tay Ward, Hue City) is solemnly organized, and appreciated by the people and visitors. Photo: Nhat Minh

The participants in the festival first show respect for the belief then pray for peace in life, good things to themselves and their families, not too much for fame and fortune.

The pagodas, places of worship, places of festivals in Hue have no superstitious activities, no prayer renting , and no votive paper burning in large amount; at some festivals, tourists arrive in large numbers and are quite satisfied with the organization.

“I have experienced Lunar New Year in many regions throughout the country and am very impressed with Hue by being immersed in many special festivals that orient humans to the humane, ethical values and to  beauty through the organization," young Nguyen Kim Thanh (Hanoi) shared on joining the Mau Tuat early year festivals in Hue.

Fairy Swing Festival. Photo: Dinh Huy

Meanwhile, Thanh’s companion, Thu Huong, enjoyed the order and solemnity when experiencing the festival season, visiting Hue pagodas. Huong was  surprised that the influx of people into the temple on the early days of the new year is overcrowded but not noisy, jostling; everyone is gentle and moderate instead.

Researcher Tran Dai Vinh explained the beauty of Hue. According to Mr. Vinh, Hue festivals are held on a small scale without profiteering in each festival, without scrambling for the god’s gifts, thus creating no annoyance. "Through this, it is possible to realize that Hue’s culture has brought Hue people good behavior. The organizers of festivals are always prudent, do not make the festival a profiteering motive, and do not tolerate participants in the festival profiteering," Mr. Vinh judged.

In the management role, Phan Tien Dung, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports affirmed that Hue is a site of quite a few festivals, and the organization is well manifested mostly because Hue people preserve the fine customs and have self-consciousness. Besides, the Department regularly coordinates with the functional units to opportunely correct and handle violations during the festival.

By Nhat Minh