Bình Đà Festival honours the legendary founding father of the Vietnamese people, Lạc Long Quân

The Bình Đà Festival was recognised as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2014. Each year, during the third lunar month, local people organise the procession and ritual ceremony to commemorate the merits of ancestors, foster patriotism and strengthen national pride.

This year's festival took place as part of the "Vietnam Ancestral Culture Week" from 19 to 22 April, featuring a range of cultural, artistic and spiritual activities. From early morning on the main day, the Nội Bình Đà Temple area was filled with attendees in formal attire, respectfully participating in the ceremonies.

The Bình Đà Festival offers Vietnamese people an opportunity to honour their ancestors, foster national pride and reconnect with their sacred origins as descendants of dragons and faries (Con Rồng Cháu Tiên).

The programme opened with a dove release and flag-raising ceremony in a solemn atmosphere. This was followed by drum martial arts performances, lion and dragon dances, and the display of a 120-metre-long dragon, recognised as a national record, adding vibrant colours to the traditional village festival. A highlight that drew particular attention was a live sand art performance recreating the legend of the "hundred eggs" – the legendary origin of Vietnamese people, combined with traditional music and modern visual presentation, offering a fresh way for younger generations to engage with heritage.

Following the festive activities, the main rituals of procession, offering and incense tribute to Ancestral Father Lạc Long Quân were conducted. Alongside village elders and ceremonial teams, many local women actively took part in logistical preparations, arranging offerings, maintaining the worship space and welcoming visitors. Their role is essential to ensuring each festival season is conducted in an orderly and respectful manner.

In many Vietnamese rural communities, women have long been the keepers of family traditions, passing on customs and preserving cultural memory for future generations. In Bình Đà, this role is reflected in everyday acts, from preparing offerings and dressing children for the festival, to retelling the legend of Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ, and joining community rehearsals ahead of the main event. These quiet yet persistent efforts help sustain heritage in a natural way.

Speaking at the event, Mr Nguyễn Đăng Việt, Chairman of Bình Minh Commune People's Committee and Head of the Festival Organising Committee, said: "The procession, rituals and incense offering to Quốc Tổ Lạc Long Quân in 2026 not only continue tradition but have been elevated into a form that reflects the spirit of the times, contributing to introducing Vietnamese cultural identity to international friends."

The Bình Đà Festival offers Vietnamese people an opportunity to honour their ancestors, foster national pride and reconnect with their sacred origins as descendants of dragons and faries (Con Rồng Cháu Tiên).

According to local authorities, more than half a month before the main festival day, people of different generations had actively rehearsed and prepared for the event with a strong sense of responsibility and pride, demonstrating that the vitality of heritage lies within the community itself.

Amid modern life, when many traditional values face the risk of fading, festivals such as Bình Đà serve as a reminder that culture exists not only in monuments, rituals or archives, but also in the daily life of each family. Within that space, women continue to play a quiet yet central role in preserving tradition.

The Bình Đà Festival 2026 is therefore not only a return to the roots but also an opportunity to recognise the role of community, family and women in safeguarding Vietnamese identity across generations.

"Beyond a traditional festival, the locality aims to build an open cultural space that connects communities and spreads national spirit in contemporary life. In the coming time, we will coordinate with organisations and businesses to organise activities such as an ancestral tribute ceremony by the Vietnamese business community on Viet Nam Entrepreneurs' Day (13 October). We are also studying the development of a 'Lạc Long Quân Garden', bringing together cultural elements from regions across the country within the Nội Bình Đà Temple complex," Nguyễn Đăng Việt added.

The Bình Đà Festival 2026 continues to affirm its role as a culturally rich spiritual anchor, where Vietnamese people can pay tribute to their ancestors, strengthen national pride and reconnect with the sacred origins of the nation as descendants of dragons and fairies (Con Rồng Cháu Tiên).