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Location: in Tien Son district, Bac Ninh -
a village has still preserved several historical and cultural relics.
Characteristic: Its annual festival is organized from the 4th to
the 6th of the first lunar month in memory of tutelary god's great merit - who
was nominated Thien Cuong De. The tutelary spirit is the person who is of both
high position and exploit in teaching the handicraft to the whole area on which
basing people's lives here have been being improved better and better. Thus, he
is specially respected one of employments he taught everybody is making
crackers. This job itself is the one forming the well known festival - the
competition of making and burning crackers.
Formerly, during the festival. Dong Ky village's people used to carry genitals, organized emulations how to raise
pigs. chickens well and implemented army parades in order to recall the time
when the tutelary god also a general led army forces to fight against enemies.
It is believed that, exploding of cracker stands for strength and martial spirit
which is possible to exterminate harmful and cruel forces. The more exploded
crackers are, the better representing an endless power could bring harmonious
weather assisting crops, harvests to be better and people have a prosperous
life. Crackers made from Dong Ky village meet demands of people everywhere on the
occasions of Tet - periods, festivals, celebrations... In the competition of
crackers, there are huge crackers which are 10 meters long and two meters in
diameter with images of dragons, phoenixes, clouds and other traditional designs
splendidly embellished. This kind of cracker is solemnly put inside a
sophisticate decorated carriage pulled from hamlets to the ground of the central
square by strong boys and beautiful girls in national costumes. After the magic
cracker is made sacrifice to the God, an elderly authority wearing a red belt
will beat the drum three times announcing that the competition starts. A good
cracker must be of loud -prolonged - edged explosion and its body burst into
brilliant colored red petals. The more explosion as thunder or lightning, the
more bumper crops next year. People carry the magic cracker before hand and
carry the sedan chair of tutelary god followed. The procession of sedan chair
always attract the attention of everyone in the festival. The sedan chair is
ornamented magnificent with skilful designs carved by entertainers in the
village. The god's statue in the sedan chair is sculptured from red lacquer
trimmed with gold timber. It is respectively carried by twelve virginal boys and
twelve virginal girls followed by octet playing characteristic tunes. Next are
groups of singing and dancing of young people. They sing and dance in sudden
inspiration praising the beauty of life. The festival is also made more
plentifully by several games such as cock fighting, lion dancing, wrestling,
swinging, human chess, boat races... In human chess, pretty girls in spiral
costumes play the roles of chessmen. Bordering villages whose literature and art
teams are also invited to take part in. They sing together during the festival
on green grasses furling of cracker body or in romantic - flowered boats. Dong
Ky village's festival is held not only for displaying or demonstrating its
handicrafts but also for praising spring, friendly relations... so it captivates
a lot of participants. People from other places usually come to see this
festival and they are greeted and treated to many dishes made by Dong Ky people
such as "banh day, banh gio" (rice - pie)...
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