The Dong Da festival, commemorating Emperor Quang Trung’s defeat of Qing (Chinese) troops in 1789 on Dong Da Hill, located in modern Hanoi, is held annually on the fifth day of the first lunar month of the Vietnamese calendar (Feb. 20 in 2018).
Festivities begin at Khuong Thuong temple in Hanoi, then a procession heads up Dong Da Hill with the Thang Long Fire Dragon, a symbol of victory made of straw and paper. A small reenactment of the battle is performed by martial artists, and the story is retold. Performers wear traditional costume.
A national hero in Vietnam, Emperor Quang Trung (birth name, Nguyen Hue) was a reformer during the Tay Son dynasty, which helped shape modern Vietnam.
Similar articles
-
April 2020
Azalea festival in Tokyo
-
March 2020
Enchanted by nomadic life and the Naadam Festival on a guided tour of Mongolia
-
March 2020
Borobudur and the Goroka Festival – one ‘bucket list’ item inspires a visit to another
-
February 2019
Westminster Abbey after-hours tour
-
February 2019
Lofoten Piano Festival
-
August 2018
Bastille Day: France's party for the people