Recognized as national intangible cultural heritage in 2015, this festival is a cultural rendezvous in Lang Son. Immersed in bustling spring festivities, visitors experience a vibrant atmosphere rich in the traditional identity of Vietnam’s northern border region.
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Palanquin carrying the incense urn of Tuan Tranh |
Lang Son hosts various ethnic groups, primarily the Tay and Nung, alongside the Kinh, Dao, Hoa, H’mong, and San Chay groups. The province holds around 300 festivals annually, mostly during the first lunar month.
The largest are the Ky Cung Temple Festival in Dong Kinh ward and Ta Phu Temple Festival in Ky Lua ward. These honor Tuan Tranh and Than Cong Tai, two mandarins who contributed significantly to protecting and securing Lang Son's border areas. Each year, the five-day celebration attracts approximately 900,000 visitors.
Palanquin procession ritual
Ky Cung temple stands by a bridge on the left bank of Ky Cung river in Vinh Trai ward, Lang Son city. Dating back centuries, it remains a vital spiritual site for Lang Son province.
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The palanquin is turned three times at intersections. |
Ky Cung temple stands by a bridge on the left bank of Ky Cung river in Vinh Trai ward, Lang Son city. Dating back centuries, it remains a vital spiritual site for Lang Son province.
Upholding nation’s moral traditions
A festival highlight is the procession of Tuan Tranh’s incense urn. At noon on the 22nd day of the first lunar month, the parade moves from Ky Cung temple through central streets toward Ta Phu temple. The procession features young men in traditional attire and female spirit mediums symbolizing Mother Goddess worship. As it passes, residents set up offering trays to pray for prosperity while lion and dragon dances enliven the atmosphere. At intersections, the palanquin is ritually turned three times.
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Local people show respect as the procession passes by. |
The five-day celebration includes human chess, bird fighting, and stick-pushing. Legend says Tuan Tranh, a Tran Dynasty official, guarded Lang Son against invaders. After his weakened army suffered losses, corrupt officials falsely accused him of treason. To prove his innocence, he jumped into the Ky Cung river. Later, Than Cong Tai, a Le Dynasty general worshipped at Ta Phu temple, cleared his name. Locals subsequently integrated this history into the Ky Cung - Ta Phu Festival.
Held at the beginning of the lunar year, the Ky Cung Temple Festival is one of the largest and most distinctive cultural celebrations in Lang Son. On the 22nd and 27th of the first lunar month, families along the procession route prepare offering trays to pray for peace, prosperity and good fortune.
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Traditional contest of pounding glutinous rice and wormwood cakes at the 2026 Ky Cung Temple Festival. |
In recent years, efforts to preserve traditional folk culture have been further promoted during the province’s largest festival. On the opening day alone, the province welcomes around 300,000 visitors.
The festival offers an occasion for ethnic communities across Lang Son to gather, celebrate, sing and perform traditional rituals, expressing hopes for prosperity, happiness and good fortune in the New Year. It is not only a place where people send their prayers for peace and wellbeing, but also a vivid testament to the enduring values of Vietnam’s rich cultural heritage.
Translated by Quynh Oanh