Co Loa is a commune belonging to Dong Anh district, a suburban district of Hanoi city. Starting from Hanoi, we can reach the commnune by going along highaway 1, crossing Chong Duong bridge and then Cau Duong bridge, and thereafter following Highway 3 for three kilometers. Getting there, one can see the remains of three layers of concentric ramparts built by An Duong Vuong, alias Thuc Phan, in the second century BC.
Every year, the 12 villages of Cổ Loa Commune join hands in organizing the festival, which usually begin on the 6th of the first lunar month.
Early on the morning of the first day of the first lunar month, 12 notables from each village come to the house of the chief notable in order to prepare for the procession which starts soon thereafter. Opening the procession is the music band, to be followed by the chief notable and the 12 village notables, and then the villagers who carry various offerings to King An Dương Vương.
A couple of stone horses, one red and one white with embroidered saddles, stand on both sides of the outside part of the gate of King An Dương Vương’s temple. The road leading from the gate to the temple is lined with wooden stands for flags and other objects of worship. The palanquins of the 12 villages are placed in accordance with a pre-arranged order.
For the occasion, the organizers put in front of the temple a big altar with a glass box containing two gold car rings and objects of worship. A smaller alter, containing the King’s arms – sword, crossbow and bronze arrows – is set in front of the bigger alter. Beyond it is a space where a number of red – rimmed mats are spread and where the notables and the population will carry out the religious ceremony.
When the procession reaches the temple, a miniature royal court, containing an incense burner, a stone tablet, and the funeral oration, are put in front of the two altars.
The chief notable offiates at the religious ceremony in honor of the God King, which is in terms of rites quite similar to other traditional ceremonies, amidst the sound of music from the band. The nobles are followed by inhabitants. All beg the King to bestow peace and prosperity to the villages.
The ceremony lasts until 1 or 2 PM, and is followed by a general procession, with the participation of all the 12 villages, in honor of the King.
In front ranks of the procession are the flags, the Miniature Royal Court and the sacred weapons of the Temple. Then come the music band and the village notables clad in traditional Court uniforms and holding the weapons supposedly wielded by the King – sword, crossbow, and arrows.
Then come the notables and inhabitants of the pagoda hamlet and of each of the 12 villages, with their own palanquins, flags and music bands. It is quite a long procession, which proceeds at a slow space, amidst the sound of music, and stops regularly to burn a round of firecrackers. Starting from the temple of King An Dương Vương, the procession comes to the Trọng Thủy Well, and then to the village gate. There upon, more firecrackers are burned and the contingent which carries the Miniature Royal Court and the royal tablets go back to the temple while the notables and population of the twelve villages would carry on the procession to their respective hamlets.The religious ceremony and the procession end on the same day, that is, the 6th of the first lunar month, while the festival goes on until the 15th of the same month, with various traditional games and activities:
- In the night, there are fireworks, Ca Trù songs, folk theatrical plays (chèo) and conventional theatrical play (tuồng).
- In the day, old men play chess and cards, old women perform rites and present offerings at the Pagoda, while young men and women, a children have their own games: wrestling, tugs-of-war, swing, rope climbing, martial arts, shooting from bows and crossbows, flags dancing, human chess (chess games in which human beings are used in place of traditional chess-men), cock-fighting, penny-pitching, rice-cooking contest etc. One ancient game, which consisted in continuous drum-bearing either by pairs of drums or a whole group of drums, is no longer played.
People from neighboring communes used to come in their numbers to Cổ Loa to participate in the festival, regarding it as a national festival and spring merry-making.
Every year, the 12 villages of Cổ Loa Commune join hands in organizing the festival, which usually begin on the 6th of the first lunar month.
Early on the morning of the first day of the first lunar month, 12 notables from each village come to the house of the chief notable in order to prepare for the procession which starts soon thereafter. Opening the procession is the music band, to be followed by the chief notable and the 12 village notables, and then the villagers who carry various offerings to King An Dương Vương.
A couple of stone horses, one red and one white with embroidered saddles, stand on both sides of the outside part of the gate of King An Dương Vương’s temple. The road leading from the gate to the temple is lined with wooden stands for flags and other objects of worship. The palanquins of the 12 villages are placed in accordance with a pre-arranged order.
For the occasion, the organizers put in front of the temple a big altar with a glass box containing two gold car rings and objects of worship. A smaller alter, containing the King’s arms – sword, crossbow and bronze arrows – is set in front of the bigger alter. Beyond it is a space where a number of red – rimmed mats are spread and where the notables and the population will carry out the religious ceremony.
When the procession reaches the temple, a miniature royal court, containing an incense burner, a stone tablet, and the funeral oration, are put in front of the two altars.
The chief notable offiates at the religious ceremony in honor of the God King, which is in terms of rites quite similar to other traditional ceremonies, amidst the sound of music from the band. The nobles are followed by inhabitants. All beg the King to bestow peace and prosperity to the villages.
The ceremony lasts until 1 or 2 PM, and is followed by a general procession, with the participation of all the 12 villages, in honor of the King.
In front ranks of the procession are the flags, the Miniature Royal Court and the sacred weapons of the Temple. Then come the music band and the village notables clad in traditional Court uniforms and holding the weapons supposedly wielded by the King – sword, crossbow, and arrows.
Then come the notables and inhabitants of the pagoda hamlet and of each of the 12 villages, with their own palanquins, flags and music bands. It is quite a long procession, which proceeds at a slow space, amidst the sound of music, and stops regularly to burn a round of firecrackers. Starting from the temple of King An Dương Vương, the procession comes to the Trọng Thủy Well, and then to the village gate. There upon, more firecrackers are burned and the contingent which carries the Miniature Royal Court and the royal tablets go back to the temple while the notables and population of the twelve villages would carry on the procession to their respective hamlets.The religious ceremony and the procession end on the same day, that is, the 6th of the first lunar month, while the festival goes on until the 15th of the same month, with various traditional games and activities:
- In the night, there are fireworks, Ca Trù songs, folk theatrical plays (chèo) and conventional theatrical play (tuồng).
- In the day, old men play chess and cards, old women perform rites and present offerings at the Pagoda, while young men and women, a children have their own games: wrestling, tugs-of-war, swing, rope climbing, martial arts, shooting from bows and crossbows, flags dancing, human chess (chess games in which human beings are used in place of traditional chess-men), cock-fighting, penny-pitching, rice-cooking contest etc. One ancient game, which consisted in continuous drum-bearing either by pairs of drums or a whole group of drums, is no longer played.
People from neighboring communes used to come in their numbers to Cổ Loa to participate in the festival, regarding it as a national festival and spring merry-making.
Co Loa festival
Reviewed by Unknown
on
October 10, 2013
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
October 10, 2013
Rating:
