HÀ NỘI — The largest and most representative Gióng Festival in northern Việt Nam will introduce several new features this year, with a night tour set to make its debut as the highlight of the event.

The festival comprises two main events in Hà Nội. The first one is the Gióng Festival at Phù Đổng Temple in Phù Đổng Commune, the birthplace of Saint Gióng, after whom the festival is named. The second one is the Gióng Festival at Sóc Temple in Sóc Sơn Commune, where the saint ascended to heaven. 

Both are named on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

Particularly notable for its reenactment of the victory against the Ân invaders from the north, the festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year.

According to director of the Sóc Temple Tourist and Historical Site Management Centre Đào Anh Tú, the Gióng Festival at Sóc Temple will be held on a grand scale, with many new features.

It will begin on February 22, the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, and end two days later. The main ritual worship ceremony will be held with an offering of incense and a procession of offerings, including betel leaves, areca nuts, bamboo flower arrangements, war elephants and horses from residents of eight local villages.

The festival includes sports and traditional games, such as wrestling and tug-of-war, along with cultural experiences like kéo hoa tre, a unique craft using knives to turn thin bamboo strips into flowers, making rice and eggplant balls, a calligraphy writing contest and Đông Hồ painting.

 

Tú said the highlight will be the launch of the Sóc Temple Night Tour and the special music and dance show on the evening of February 23, the seventh day of the first lunar month. It will feature a performance by the 2025 Intervision winner and singer Đức Phúc, and is expected to attract 10,000 people.

In the last day, there will be music programmes, including quan họ (love duet) folk singing, chèo (traditional Vietnamese opera) folk singing, and other performances titled 'Echoes of Sóc Mountain', 'Colours and Spring', and 'Spring in Sóc Sơn'.

Lê Xuân Dũng, vice chairman of the People's Committee of Sóc Sơn Commune and head of the organising committee, said the festival aims to promote traditional cultural experiences to create opportunities for both residents and visitors, who are encouraged to participate and learn to appreciate the beauty of folk culture.

"We are striving to make Sóc Temple a centre of spiritual and cultural tourism for the city," Dũng said.

Night tour debut

The tour, entitled The Sacred Night of Saint Gióng's Heroic Spirit, is built on the principles of heritage preservation and respect for sacred spaces, as well as sustainable development. 

It focuses on lifting the experience and emotions of visitors and enhancing community participation, with plans in place to expand the tour in the near future.

 

The tour is designed around seven experiential stations for visitors. A dedicated programme, integrated with coordinated props, sound and lighting systems, has been developed to ensure that the site’s historical and cultural values are properly honoured and highlighted.

Trần Trung Hiếu, deputy director of the Hà Nội Department of Tourism, said he appreciated the development of the night tour. He suggested that Sóc Sơn continue to refine the content and improve the quality of the product, aiming to build a unique night tour of international calibre.

He said the product aims to diversify the capital's tourism and serve as a key solution for preserving and promoting heritage values ​​while developing a sustainable night-time economy. — VNS