An Duong Vuong Temple Festival

An Dương Vương Temple is located in Cổ Loa village, Đông Anh district, Hanoi. It is on the way to Phúc Yên and about 17 km from the center of Hanoi. Located on this land is Ngự Triều Di Quy communal house which is believed to be where the Thục King held Court. Am Bà Chúa is where people worshiped the lovely daughter of the Thục King, princess Mỵ Châu. We can now see a headless statue there, which is a vestige of the country lost by Mỵ Châu. She was so honest and credulous that she was trapped in a scheme by the enemy.

On the 6th day of the first lunar month every year, people from 12 hamlets of Cổ Loa commune organize a festival called An Dương Vương Temple Festival which lasts for 10 days. The festival begins with a procession called "văn chỉ" and "rước kiệu thành hoàng" (The Tutelary God's Palanquin) of the 12 hamlets marching to the temple of the King. Leading the procession is a phờng bát âm (an ancient music band). Following it are elder village notables, and the "kiệu long đình" (royal palanquin) being carried. Thượng Temple is where the ceremony is performed with five-colour flags, a couple of pink horses and a couple of white horses on the two sides, the left and the right. In the center of the altar with an incense table is placed and loaded with the offerings, a glass box containing a pair of mandarin's boots and the King's weapons. However, the statue of the King and his "mũ bình thiên" (King's hat) are kept inside the altar. After that, people of the 12 hamlets march around the Trọng Thủy well and then go back to the Ngự Triều communal house where only the palanquin of Cổ Loa is kept.
Continuing with the festival many traditional village games are held, such as đánh đu (swinging on high), đáo đĩa (coin throwing), tổ tôm (a kind of card-game) and cò bơi (swimming storks).
The festival lasts until the 16th of the lunar month and then the festival is completed by making an offering, a rite in honour of heaven and earth.

Source: hanoitourism.gov.vn