According to the organizers, the best part of the thousand-year-old festival is the huge firecrackers procession.

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Dong Ky firecracker procession festival. Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn
The 4-day festival is associated with the myth of Saint Thien Cuong, who fought Xich Quy invaders. It is organized annually in honor of Saint Thien Cuong’s glorious victory, who came from the Dong Ky village.

The two crackers used in the procession are made of wood and painted with gold lacquer. Each cracker with six meters in length was decorated with one star-shaped end and a drum-shaped end. Their bodies were carved with the images of a dragon, a kylin, a turtle and a phoenix with the hope of favorable weather.

The festival was recognized as one of 15 national intangible cultural heritage items by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2016.

Besides the firecracker procession, the festival also features other folk games like wrestling, cock fighting and Quan Ho love duet singing.

Translated by Chung Anh