More than 250,000 tourists participated in the Con Son-Kiep Bac Autumn
Festival 2013 in the northern province of Hai Duong from September 19-24
(15th to 20th day of the eighth lunar month).
Opened on
September 14, the ten-day festival featured a broad range of traditional
spiritual rituals and cultural and sporting activities to commemorate
the 713rd anniversary of the passing of National Hero Tran Hung Dao
(1228-1300), who made great contributions to the fights against
Yuan-Mongol invaders from the north in the 13th century.
The
activities included incense offering ceremony, military festival and
lanterns night on Luc Dau River, a festival to pray for peace, and the
seal opening ceremony at Kiep Bac temple.Traditional games such as
wrestling, boat race, and a rice cooking contest were also held during
the festival.
Covering an area of more than 8ha in Chi Linh
town, the Con Son – Kiep Bac historical site is closely associated with
the lives and careers of Tran Hung Dao and Nguyen Trai (1380-1442), who
was recognised as a Great Man of Culture of the World by UNESCO in 1980.
The area witnessed important battles between the Tran dysnaty army and the Yuan-Mongol invaders.
Con Son – Kiep Bac was recognised as a national heritage site in 1962 and a special national heritage site in 2012.
The Con Son – Kiep Bac spring and autumn festivals were recognised as national intangible cultural heritage in 2012.-VNA