Convergence of cultural identities at Hoa Lu Festival

"No matter where you go/Remember the day of Truong Yen festival to return". Truong Yen festival or Hoa Lu festival has long been the pride of the people of the ancient capital. The song is like a promise of Ninh Binh people from all over the country to return to the festival in March.

As children of Ninh Binh, no one is not proud of the cultural and historical traditions of their ancestors. That tradition seems to be preserved and converged in the activities of Hoa Lu Festival: From the martial arts tradition through the echoes of the drums of the wrestling festival; the tradition of loving learning and poetry through the Calligraphy Competition; the tradition of loving literature and art through the art exchanges of Cheo singing, Van singing, Xam singing...

Hoa Lu Festival is a place to showcase the cultural identities of the localities that converge here. From the skillful boat rowing game of the residents of Ninh Hai, Ninh Xuan, Truong Yen; the crossbow shooting game of the people of Cuc Phuong highlands or the gong performances of the Muong people in Quang Lac, Ky Phu, Thach Binh...

The festival is also a place to preserve the essence of many traditional cultural values with many sacrificial rituals: temple opening ceremony, water procession ceremony, nine-curve ceremony... extremely sacred, unique and imbued with cultural colors.

Coming to Hoa Lu, people can immerse themselves in the festival atmosphere, feel more clearly the unique and diverse features of Hoa Lu Festival in the cultural flow of Ninh Binh, and be proud to be born in the land of the historic Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, a land filled with layers of cultural sediments, imbued with legends.

Mr. Le Doan Dam, a lifelong enthusiast in researching Hoa Lu culture and history, and also a resident of Dong village, Truong Yen commune, shared: As a resident born and raised in Hoa Lu, I am very proud to contribute my small part to learning about and honoring the cultural and historical values of my homeland.

In the vast cultural and historical treasure of Hoa Lu, Truong Yen Festival (or Hoa Lu Festival as it is called today) is the place where many traditional cultural values converge and are preserved. Every year, the ancient capital of Hoa Lu holds a festival, and tens of thousands of Ninh Binh people from all over the country come to the festival. This is an opportunity to evoke and awaken people's emotions about their cultural and historical roots, about the traditions of their ancestors, about the awareness of preserving traditional cultural values, about love for their homeland, and pride in the land that gave birth to them...

Convergence of cultural identities at Hoa Lu Festival — Cockfighting at the Festival. Photo: Minh Quang

Not only Mr. Le Doan Dam, who was born in Hoa Lu, but many local people in the province also share the joy and pride when coming to Hoa Lu Festival. Ms. Bui Thi Nam, a member of the Muong cultural club in Quang Lac commune (Nho Quan) said: Every year when the main festival comes, I come to Hoa Lu Festival. I join many members of the Muong cultural club, we are invited to participate in cultural exchange activities, gong performances or stilt walking...

Coming to the festival, I deeply felt the joyful and exciting atmosphere of the festival. We, the Muong Cultural Club, are very happy to contribute our efforts to the cultural and artistic activities of the festival. The happiest thing is that when participating in the festival, each of us can feel more clearly the difference in the culture of our people compared to other ethnic communities. Coming to the festival, immersing ourselves here, to feel more clearly ourselves. To see the uniqueness of our people, of other ethnic communities, to see the diversity and rich cultural identity of the Hoa Lu Festival.

Hoa Lu Festival was formed in history, preserved and conserved by the community from its inception until today. Along with the process of formation and development, over time, the festival has always preserved traditional cultural features, while also having certain changes to suit new cultural, historical conditions and socio-economic contexts.

Today's festival not only plays a role in honoring historical and cultural values, but it also promotes the development of local economic and tourism activities, contributing to the lives of the community of residents who own the heritage.

Hoa Lu Festival is a place where the cultural values of Ninh Binh converge, and also a place where Ninh Binh introduces its "cultural face" to friends around the world, so its influence in terms of communication is very large, beyond the meaning of a simple festival. In other words, Hoa Lu Festival is, in a sense, a cultural symbol of Ninh Binh.

Currently, Ninh Binh is aiming to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex being recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the multifaceted value of Hoa Lu Festival in the overall value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex cannot be denied. Organizing the annual festival is also a way to honor the value of this heritage. The extremely large, unique and distinctive intangible cultural heritage has become the pride of Hoa Lu people in particular and all Ninh Binh people in general.

Mai Phuong

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