Every year, when the early summer sun begins to dye the rice fields yellow, it is also the time when people in Tra Giang commune (Hung Yen province) and tourists from all over excitedly go to Dong Xam Temple festival. This is not only a common religious festival but also an opportunity to honor the intelligence and skillful hands of famous silver carving village artisans who have existed for hundreds of years.
The Dong Xam Temple Festival is held to commemorate the merits of Trinh Nghe To Su Nguyen Kim Lau. According to legends and historical records, Mr. Nguyen Kim Lau was the person who taught the silver carving profession to the people in the region. From the early techniques, he turned this land into the cradle of the most sophisticated jewelry carving art in Vietnam.
Dong Xam Temple with a total construction area of about 1,000m2 has 12 architectural items, of which the most notable is the rear palace where Saint Trieu Da and Trinh Thi Hoang Hau reside.
Dong Xam Temple was granted the National Historical Relic certificate by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 1990.
Traditionally, the Dong Xam Temple festival usually takes place from the 1st day of the 4th lunar month every year. The festival is organized as an occasion to express sincerity, the morality of drinking water, remembering the source, and expressing gratitude to the predecessors who contributed to creating the Dong Xam temple relic complex, and also an opportunity to promote and introduce the Dong Xam silver carving village.
The festival part in Dong Xam always has a special attraction thanks to its characteristic cultural beliefs, with many folk games and unique activities of the festival, such as ca tru singing, cheo singing, procession of the saint, worship...
Throughout the ups and downs of history, the Dong Xam temple festival still retains its traditional beauty and strong vitality. Coming to the festival, visitors not only admire exquisite handicrafts such as bronze paintings, silver worship items or sparkling jewelry, but also immerse themselves in the cultural space imbued with the Northern Delta region. That is the harmonious intersection between spirituality and production life, between the heroic past and the radiant present.
In 2026, the Dong Xam temple festival will be held for 3 days, from May 17-19, 2026 (ie April 1 to April 3 of the Binh Ngo year) in Tra Giang commune, Hung Yen province (formerly Hong Thai commune, Thai Binh province).
The ceremonial activities will be held from May 16-19, 2026 (ie March 30 to April 3 of the Binh Ngo year), with some outstanding activities such as: the procession of Saint Ba's palanquin from Ba Temple to Ca Temple, ceremonial activities at the Dragon yard of Dong Xam Temple...
