Sea of people carrying giant cannon Dong Ky

Clip of Dong Ky fireworks procession:

The festival aims to recreate the story of Saint Thien Cuong. According to legend, the Saint had the merit of defeating the Xich Quy bandits and was given the title Thien Cuong by King Hung. On the way to defeat the bandits, Thien Cuong returned to Dong Ky to recruit soldiers and choose generals. On the 4th of January, he ordered the troops to attack the bandits. During the battle, everyone set off firecrackers and cheered, creating a bustling, heroic atmosphere to encourage the soldiers. After defeating the bandits, Thien Cuong returned to Dong Ky to hold a celebration.

At 7:00 a.m., preparations for the Dong Ky fireworks procession began.

Mr. Duong Van Nhat said: "To remember Thien Cuong, Dong Ky village worshiped him as the village's god at the communal house and held an annual firecracker festival, reenacting the day Saint Thien Cuong ordered troops to fight the enemy. Since the State banned firecrackers, Dong Ky organized a firecracker worship ceremony, bringing firecrackers from the traditional house to the communal house, creating an exciting atmosphere for the people on the occasion of the New Year."

At about 9am, the firecracker procession begins from the traditional house to the village communal house.

On the way to the fireworks, young men lead the procession, sometimes gathering together to shout loudly as a way to replace the sound of fireworks, bringing a lively atmosphere to the festival.

The people chosen to carry the fireworks are healthy, clean, and between 36 and 50 years old. The weight of these fireworks is over 1 ton, so each firework requires 100 strong young men to carry it.

In 2016, the Dong Ky Fireworks Procession was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. This is both a source of pride and a motivation for Dong Ky to continue to preserve and promote the unique cultural heritage of the festival. The festival is held in the grounds of the communal house, pagoda and temple of the village, from the 4th to the 6th of January. To do a good job of organizing, the locality has established a steering committee, a festival organizing committee, and planned to assign members, ensuring the festival takes place safely, promoting traditional cultural values, and at the same time creating an exciting competitive atmosphere for the people and tourists.

At 10am, the procession of fireworks moved to the communal house yard. The village elders and four officials performed the ceremony.

After carrying two giant cannons around the village, the four mandarins danced in the communal house yard. The four mandarins were cheered on from above by shirtless, shorts-clad young men. Below, the young men jostled and pushed each other, and the mandarin who could stand the longest was the winner.

Although it is a traditional festival on a village scale, the Dong Ky village fireworks procession is one of the festivals with cultural characteristics of the Bac Ninh - Kinh Bac region, a typical form of cultural and religious activities, a living museum of the spiritual and cultural life of the local people and the nation. After the fireworks are brought to the village communal house, there will be a military departure ceremony to encourage the spirit of the soldiers to volunteer to fight the enemy. This is a good custom that is still being maintained and promoted.

No more crowded scenes at the beginning of the new year at Tam Chuc Pagoda More than 20,000 people flocked to Tam Chuc Pagoda - the largest pagoda in the world to worship and visit during the 2 days of the Giap Thin New Year. The jostling and crowded scenes no longer recurred here like during the previous Tet holidays.

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