Unique festival over 300 years old
The Xa Ma festival is associated with the history of Hoang Chau communal house - the sea gate communal house dating back more than 300 years. Hoang Chau communal house was built in the 16th century, located next to the coast, nearly 3km from the current communal house location. Legend has it that during the process of starting the communal house, the people of Hoang Chau village assigned some elders to the Northeast region (Van Don - Quang Ninh area now) to find and buy precious wood. The wood bought was cast into rafts, just waiting for the wind to rise and push the sails to go down to the village. Waiting for a long time, the sky was still calm, the sea was still calm, the rafts just stood still in one place, the village elders discussed preparing offerings, praying to the gods in the East Sea, praying to heaven and earth to bless the wooden rafts to quickly return to the village, in time for the communal house to be built. Strangely, as the prayer was just finished, the gods of heaven and earth appeared, a strong easterly wind rose, blew up the sa
Up to now, the communal house has undergone 3 major restorations in the years Binh Than 1916, Canh Thin 2000, Ky Suu 2009. In Canh Dan 2010, the communal house was invested in completely rebuilding the village communal house gate and restoring and repairing the entire communal house, pagoda, temple and two temples in the village, creating a comprehensive project serving the religious and spiritual needs of the people as it is today.
Through the genealogy, imperial decrees and steles currently preserved at Hoang Chau village communal house, the Xa Ma festival has been held since ancient times during the south wind season and heavy rain and floods. The festival aims to commemorate the merits of the tutelary god and the predecessors who contributed to the birth and establishment of the village, namely De Thich Tien Dinh Lieu Hanh Princess, Thuong Dang Than; the two tutelary gods are Do Nguyen Soai Tuyen Nghi Chi Than and Pho Nguyen Soai Duy Bui Chi Than. Through the festival, people pray for a year of favorable weather and a bumper fishing season.
The festival is maintained annually from the 10th day of the 6th lunar month, lasting for 3 days. On this occasion, there are often many tourists and children working far from home returning to attend the festival and reunite with their families. The festival consists of 2 main parts: the ritual part and the festival part. The ritual part includes rituals: cáo yết sacrifice, chính sacrifice and an vị sacrifice. In this part, pilgrims from all directions as well as villagers respectfully offer incense and sacrifice in front of the altar of the tutelary gods, praying for good luck, peace in life and expressing gratitude for their ancestors' contributions. Offerings are indispensable with white sticky rice and local products. With cultural and historical value, on May 8, 2017, Xa Ma Festival - Hoang Chau communal palanquin procession was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.
Pulling wooden horses, rebuilding the old battlefield
According to the Department of Culture - Society of Cat Hai Special Economic Zone, at the Xa Ma - Hoang Chau communal house palanquin procession festival, palanquin procession is an activity imbued with spiritual beliefs, unique. The male and female officials participating in the palanquin procession at the village festival must be unmarried people; families without mourning. When the sacred and sacred palanquin palanquins, carried out into the communal house yard by young men and women, suddenly run like flying on the communal house yard and go around the village like gods appearing.
The highlight of the festival is the Xa Ma custom, also known as the wooden horse pulling contest, which recreates the training and exercise scene of soldiers in ancient times. The contest usually only has two participating teams, Giap Dong and Giap Doai. According to the elders in the village, Xa Ma is made of 2 solid wooden frames, which can be moved and mobile. Each carriage rack has 4 wooden wheels. On the carriage rack, there are wooden warhorses, large and sturdy bodies, with dương rope, yếm hoa, and lục lạc collar. Each team has 12 to 15 participants, dressed neatly according to village festival regulations such as leggings, headwear in the style of green or red axe head to distinguish each other. The commander holds a flag with a wrinkled tail of different colors to distinguish from the opponent.
The game begins when an order is issued from the manager. Two wooden horses under the skillful, rhythmic but very strong, and decisive control of the commander of each army. The rules of the game stipulate that whichever side wants to win the village prize must pull the horse to run through all 3 regions, without touching the line. The taboo is not to harm Xa Ma as well as the opponent and members of the team. The prize of the winning team is the festival gift. Every time entering the battle, cheers echo everywhere; the sound of gongs and drums continuously, the bustling festival atmosphere both carries the spirit of martial arts and is imbued with folk identity.
Mr. Pham Tri Tuyen - Head of the Culture and Social Department of Cat Hai Special Zone said that the festival has been preserved and promoted by the Party Committee, government and local people to its original identity values to this day. To increase the richness and attractiveness of the festival, every year, the Organizing Committee of Hoang Chau village festival organizes many cultural and artistic activities, sports and folk games such as net knitting, duck catching, cockfighting... creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere among the people.
After hundreds of years, the Xa Ma festival is not only a unique cultural beauty of coastal fishermen but also an opportunity to educate traditions and love for homeland and country, consolidate solidarity and attachment in the village community. People in Hoang Chau in particular and people in the Cat Hai special zone in general are always proud of their homeland and unique festivals through emotional verses: "Preserving the beauty of thousands of years ago - Xa Ma village festival, boys compete in endurance - Sacred palanquin takes off and flies up - Bringing spring energy to a remote island region".
