On October 13, 2024 (the 11th day of the 9th month in the Year of the Dragon), the People’s Committee of Trung Hưng Ward, Son Tay Town, held the grand opening of the Va Temple Fishing Festival with a live fishing demonstration at the Đầm Sen area in the ward.
Over 300 young men from 11 local fishing teams in Trung Hung and neighboring communes and wards in Son Tay participated in the re-enactment of the traditional fishing ritual. The event showcased various traditional fishing tools, including dập (a type of net), sào (poles), nơm (a basket trap), and quạng (a type of large net), used…
Va temple, also known as Dong Cung, is located on a hill shaded by ancient lim trees in Trung Hung Ward, Son Tay Town. Va temple is one of the four main temples of the Doai region, dedicated to Tan Vien Son Thanh, the highest deity in the four immortal figures of Vietnamese folk beliefs. The temple has been recognized by the State as a National Historical and Cultural Heritage Site since 1964. In 2016, the Va temple Festival was honored by the State as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
At Va temple, two major annual festivals are held to honor the merits of Duc Thanh Tan, including the full moon festival of the first lunar month and the full moon festival of the ninth lunar month (also known as the Da Ngu Festival). The Da Ngu Festival reenacts the story of Thanh Tan casting nets on the Tich River and preparing dishes from fish. Through this festival, the event also promotes fishery conservation and protects the ecological environment of the Tich River region.
The festival is attended by the people from five villages in Son Tay Town: Van Gia, Nghia Phu, Mai Trai, Thanh Tri, Ai Mo, Trung Hung Ward; Phu Sa, Viên Son Ward; Phu Nhi, Phu Thinh Ward; and the people from the Ngư Doi village, Vinh Ninh commune, Vinh Tuong district, Vinh Phuc province, who bring offerings to Va temple to worship Thanh Tan.
The 2024 live fish-catching re-enactment was held solemnly, with the belief that whoever catches a fish will have good luck, smooth work, and prosperous business throughout the year.
The caught fish are not sold but are carefully selected by the locals for the best and largest fish to be cooked and offered to Duc Thanh Tan. Smaller fish are shared by the local residential groups and the people during a feast. The team that catches the largest fish or the most fish will be praised and rewarded by the festival organizers.
The Fishing Festival is one of many rituals held at Den Va during the autumn season. The autumn festival at Den Va will continue until October 17, 2024, which corresponds to the full moon of the ninth lunar month in the year of Dragon.
Quynh Anh