On March 28, at Da Hoa Temple (Me So commune, Hung Yen province), the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, Provincial People's Committee and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province organized the opening ceremony of the festival and received the Certificate of Ranking as a Special National Relic of Da Hoa - Da Trach Relic Site.
Attending the ceremony were members of the Party Central Committee: Mr. Nguyen Hai Ninh - Minister of Justice; Mr. Hoang Minh Son - Acting Minister of Education and Training; Mr. Duong Quoc Huy - Secretary of Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee.
On the side of Hung Yen province were Mr. Nguyen Huu Nghia - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Mr. Pham Quang Ngoc - Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, along with leaders of departments, agencies, branches, localities and a large number of people and tourists.
Before the opening ceremony, delegates respectfully offered incense to commemorate Saint Chu Dong Tu and his two wives, Princess Tien Dung and Princess Tay Sa. The ceremony expresses gratitude to ancestors, and at the same time affirms the sustainable vitality of folk beliefs in the land along the Red River.
In the Vietnamese mind, Chu Dong Tu is a meaningful cultural symbol: from a poor but filial person, overcoming prejudices to find love and happiness, working with Tien Dung to explore the alluvial grounds, teaching people how to do business, and building a prosperous life. That legend has crystallized into profound humanistic values, reflecting the aspiration to start a career and the will to conquer nature of the people of the delta.
Da Hoa - Da Trach Temple Festival is not only a religious activity but also a vibrant cultural space, where the past and present intersect. Rituals such as carrying water from the Red River, carrying palanquins through villages bear the imprint of agricultural beliefs, sending wishes for favorable weather and bumper crops.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Pham Van Nghiem - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee - emphasized that the Da Hoa - Da Trach Relic Site is a typical complex, converging unique historical, cultural, architectural and artistic values. The relic is not only associated with the legend of Chu Dong Tu - Tien Dung but also a place to commemorate Trieu Viet Vuong, associated with the Da Trach base in the history of resisting foreign invaders.
The fact that the relic site is ranked as a special national relic and the trio of Mac wooden altars at Da Hoa Temple are recognized as national treasures is a worthy recognition of the unique values of the heritage. This is also the basis for the locality to continue to preserve and promote values associated with cultural tourism development.
2026 is the first time the festival has been held at the provincial level, marking a shift from the village festival space to a larger scale. At the ceremony, Mr. Pham Quang Ngoc awarded the Certificate of Special National Relic Ranking to Me So and Trieu Viet Vuong communes.
