The main day of the festivaloccurs on the 20th day of the 8th lunar month, but from the previousdays onward, the festival attract many visitors from all over thecountry to the Con Son – Kiep Bac cultural and historical site in the northern province of Hai Duong.

Millionsof people throng Kiep Bac Temple to participate in the festivities. Thefestival takes place from the 15th to 20th days of the eighth lunarmonth, when autumn is in its full bloom. Kiep Bac Festival iscelebrated every year on the death anniversary of Saint Tran. The placewas one of his hideouts and the temple was built in the memory of thesaint.

TranQuoc Tuan was the general who defeated the Chinese Nguyen-Mong invadersthree times. Because of his merits to the nation, he was proclaimed asaint. General Tran Hung Dao had planned for this; he had spent monthsstudying the river and embedding the spikes in the riverbed as hisforces of soldiers and peasant conscripts harassed the Mongols. Theyfired flaming arrows and attacked the damaged boats on water,destroying the entire flee and the Mongol army was thus defeated byTran Hung Dao for the second time. The only other nation tosuccessfully resist the Mongols was Japan. The battle of Bach Dang islegendary across the world and considered a brilliant piece of strategyand its mastermind, General Tran Hung Dao, is both hero and saint inVietnam.

Features of the festival

Thefestival bears the special characteristics of the traditional nationalidentity. One of the most interesting activities in the festival is theboat race on the Luc Dau River, in which hundreds of boats participate.The boat race is like flying arrows rushing through the air as theboats are urged along by drumming sounds and the screaming of excitedpeople. Taking part in the Kiep Bac Temple Festival, participantsrelive the atmosphere of when Tran Quoc Tuan placed his troops into abattle-array. This festival makes the Vietnamese people feel proud ofthe glorious traditions of their nation.

Themain ceremony is followed by a great ceremony with elaborateworshipping procedures. This ceremony is followed next by a processionwhere Saint Tran's ancestral tablet is brought on a golden processionchair, passing three walled gates toward the river bank. The processionchair is then placed on a royal barge. The procession march lasts fortwo hours and then Saint Tran's ancestral tablet is brought back to themain temple for the last religious service.

Colorfulprocessions start on the morning of the 20th day from Van Yen, Duoc Sonand Con Son for the temple. The procession embarks on the boatornamented with votive flags and flowers. The Saint’s palanquin istransported on a dragon boat. The fleet leaves the quay in theresounding accompaniment of drumbeats, gong and horn sounds, and theadmiring acclamation of the audience. When the fleet moors, theprocession returns the temple.

Afterall the processions gather at the gateway to the temple at a definitetime, the ritual of incense offering takes place. The head of thereligious ceremony delivers a speech to commemorate the efforts of TranHung Dao and the history of the anti-Yuan-Mongolian struggle during theTran regime. After the deliverance of the funeral oration by theofficiant, people offer incense sticks. A vibrant ceremonycharacterized by a palanquin procession takes place after thecompletion of the incense-offering ritual. The blessed tablet of SaintTran is kept in a red lacquered and gold gilded palanquin embellishedwith dragon and lion dancers around. The procession leaves the dockaccompanied by enthusiastic drumbeats, gong and horn sounds and thezeal of the followers. A major attraction of the festival is the raceof dozens of boats on the Luc Dau River. The enthusiastic people comefrom nearby Hanoi and other places beyond. All gather with the beliefthat Vietnam is a country that will never succumb to a foreign power.Notwithstanding the modern elements that have been incorporated to thefestival, it has retained its traditional fervor.

Tensof thousands of Vietnamese people make the pilgrimage to celebrate notonly their great general, but their nation’s proud military history.They are united by a belief and a great notion that Vietnam is a greatcountry and it has not and will never bow to a foreign power.

Visitors who join Kiep Bac Temple Festival seem to live in the sameatmosphere as when Tran Quoc Tuan arrayed his troops in the bank. TheVietnamese are very proud of the glorious traditions of their nation.