Kite flying in Song An

When talking about kite flying in Thai Binh, people often remember the kite flying tradition in Song An commune (Vu Thu). This is an elegant folk art that has been preserved and promoted by artisans to this day.

People of Song An commune (Vu Thu) are proficient in kite flying skills.

Since ancient times, Sao Den village festival in Song An commune has been considered a big festival of Son Nam Ha town. People organize the kite flying custom from the 22nd to the 28th of the third lunar month, the main festival is on the 24th to the 26th of the lunar month. The stele kept at Sao Den records as follows: The kite flying custom is associated with the legend of Mrs. Ngoc Dao bringing Le Tu Thanh back to her hometown to take refuge. She often let her children compete in kite flying with the children in the village.

Another legend says that the kite-flying custom is to commemorate Duke Dinh Le, who instructed soldiers to make and fly kites both to encourage soldiers and as a signal to command troops. Therefore, when he was granted land in An Lao, Dinh's descendants organized a kite-flying competition to commemorate his contributions, which gradually became a custom in the Sao Den festival.

The kite and flute competition is associated with sacred rituals and has many strict rules and rich content such as: Big kite competition, beautiful flute competition, good flute competition but the most unique is the kite flying competition through the sickle. The afternoon of the 25th day of the 3rd lunar month every year is the most exciting day of the Sao Den festival, because the Organizing Committee performs sacred rituals including: Kite presentation ceremony, investiture ceremony, procession of the Holy Mother to travel the mountains and rivers and kite flying competition through the sickle.

Director of the Center for Preservation of Vietnam Kite Cultural Heritage Hoang Van Diep shared: Nationwide, there are many places that organize kite flying competitions, but the competition in Song An commune, Thai Binh province has its own uniqueness, with two parts, the first part is the technique of flying the kite over the hook; the second part is the kite carrying ceremony that is not found anywhere else.

Elders in Song An commune said that flying a kite over a sickle is difficult and unique because the participant must control the kite string so that when the kite is released into the sky, it can pass through two sharp sickle hooks without breaking. The winning kite is the one that passes through the sickle hook and flies high in the wind, stands upright and has the lowest sag in the string.

The Organizing Committee clearly stipulates the rules of the kite flying competition: The kite must be 2.5m or more in size, without a tail, and must be worn with a suitable flute. The kite string must be made of parachute cord or hemp rope, and must not exceed 50m in length. A flute kite must be taken by two or more people: One person to fly the kite (large kites can be lifted by two or more people) and the kite dropper. This competition requires contestants to be agile, experienced, and to coordinate well with each other.

Kites filled with wind have long been an image associated with childhood and the days of playing filled with innocent laughter. In that kite, not only is it a child's pleasure but also creativity in shape and color, the art of mastering the wind and a place to entrust aspirations to fly high.

Nowadays, kite flying has gradually gone beyond the limits of a folk game and gradually developed into a cultural exchange activity with both traditional values ​​and modern beauty.

Kite flying in Song An will probably continue to develop, because in addition to the joy it brings on hot summer days, it is also a unique folk culture that people pass on on kites and in the echoes of kite flutes.

Local people are also aware that kite flying must be associated with the responsibility of protecting the safety of the power grid, and not affecting the order and activities of the locality.

After nearly 600 years, the kite-flying tradition in Song An has profound historical value because it contains historical stories about a period of nation building and defense of the Later Le Dynasty in Son Nam Ha town in general and the process of building and developing An Lao village in particular.

The love for the homeland, the country, and the life of the people here is conveyed through the soaring kites and the whistling flutes. Those are the sublime moments of the working people, the will to overcome all hardships and challenges to seek happiness, expressing pride and the desire for a peaceful life.

The custom of flying kites also contributes to the consolidation of village communities and the communities of kite players in other localities. This is a valuable cultural product of the community, positively influencing the spiritual life of the people.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has included the kite-flying tradition in the Sao Den Festival in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in December 2019 thanks to its outstanding value. With its unique values, today, young people in Song An commune continue the tradition of many generations, preserving and developing this folk culture in resonance with contemporary life.

According to nhandan.vn

Source: https://baothaibinh.com.vn/tin-tuc/19/219691/choi-dieu-sao-o-song-an