According to tradition, the Lunar New Year is an important ritual to ask for permission from Saint Tran and the gods to open the festival. In the sacred space in front of the Silver House, delegates offered incense, flowers, and objects of respect to the female phoenix.
Next, the traditional ceremonial ceremony was performed by the military schools of Van Yen, Duoc Son and Bac Dau, contributing to the recreation of the unique spiritual and cultural values of the silver region.
The ceremony not only expressed gratitude to Hung Dao Dai Tuong Tran Quoc Tuan but also was an occasion for the nation to be peaceful, have favorable weather, good crops, and a peaceful world.
The Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival is a major cultural and religious event, becoming a practice with the saying: "No matter who trades near or far/Twenty-eight months of death, Father will return".
Every autumn, people everywhere travel to remember the merits of Hung Dao Dai Vuong, immersing themselves in the traditional festival space.
In 2025, the Festival will have a special meaning, being the first typical cultural event of Hai Phong City after the merger. At the same time, the festival will host a ceremony to honor the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiep Bac Relic Complex and Scenic Landscape Complex, which has just been recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage.
This year's festival takes place from October 1-12 (10-20 August of the lunar calendar), associated with the 725th Anniversary of the Death of Hung Dao King Tran Quoc Tuan and the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival. Many rituals are standardized to be worthy of world heritage, including: Opening Ceremony, Luc Dau River Festival with 50 boats, Prayer Ceremony and crown Flower Festival, Marriage Ceremony - death anniversary of Saint Tran, Commemoration Ceremony of 583 years of the decease of World Cultural Celebrity Nguyen Trai.
Along with the ceremony, many rich festival activities were held such as: thematic exhibition "World Heritage Journey", Cultural - Tourism - Trade Promotion Week gathering hundreds of OCOP products, craft villages, and unique cuisine; launching three new tourism products with the topics "1 journey - 5 destinations for World Heritage", "Following the footsteps of the three groups of Truc Lam" and "Exploring Con Son - Kiep Bac Heritage".
In addition, there are also festivals to show the servants of the Saints, water puppetry, live art programs, 3D mapping performances, and traditional craft village activities to serve visitors.
With an expanding scale and solemn rituals, the Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival 2025 is not only an occasion to show gratitude to ancestors but also contributes to honoring and promoting the value of the nation's cultural heritage, affirming the enduring vitality of the thousand-year-old festival.
