A country full of vibrancy, constant movement and development – Vietnam is guaranteed to be a unique cultural experience like no other. With streets full of motorbikes transporting huge televisions and refrigerators wrapped onto them with string, there is always something unusual to witness in this fascinating Southeast Asian city. One event in particular that will fascinate and thoroughly entertain all visitors is the Vietnamese Kiep Bac Festival. This festival is essentially a pilgrimage to the Kiep Bac Temple, which honours the saint Tran Hung Dao and has been carried out for centuries. An old Vietnamese custom, this festival occurs on the 20th day of the 8th lunar month and interestingly displays a revival of a famed battle on Luc Dau River consisting of a traditional palanquin procession on road and by boat. The purpose of this festival is to pay tribute to and worship Saint Tran, the main general of the Tran Dynasty, who successfully defeated the Chinese Nguyen-Mong invaders three times, a worthy testament of his military ingenuity and leadership.
A patriotic atmosphere encapsulates the participants of the festival as they relive the proud moment of victory from the country’s illustrious past. Any sightseers will be treated with this glorious sight as they too take in the historical rituals of the Hung Dao Community while also appreciating the sheer beauty of the surrounding landscape. The parade begins with a period of concentrated worshipping followed by another procession of a golden chair carrying Saint Tran’s ancestral tablet to the riverbank that is then placed on a barge. This boat-procession lasts for a few hours, after which the tablet is returned to the Kiep Bac temple. One of the more delightful aspects of the Kiep Bac Festival is a boat race on the Luc Dao River, where hundreds of boats participate and are cheered along to the steady beat of drums. This exciting and exhilarating experience is further heightened by the visual picture of the boats shooting across the river like arrows to a target. Any tourist observing this festival will indeed be transported back to the legendary battle where Saint Tan led his troops to victory.
Discover the beautiful Vietnamese culture at the Kiep Bac Festival and partake in the victorious and amazing feeling of the unique boat race, and the reenactment of the Luc Dao battle. While enjoying the festivities, the Harbour View Hotel Haiphong Vietnam is an ideal lodging option, which provides you with the best of Vietnamese hospitality. Revel in the exquisite and infamous Vietnamese cuisine while you appreciate the beauty of the French colonial décor at one of the best Hotels in Vietnam. The Kiep Bac Festival coupled with a stay at a luxury Hotel Haiphong has to offer its visitors will create vibrant memories to last a lifetime.
Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday. Google+