Moc village is lying by the river bank of To Lich, southwest of former Dai La citadel, now called Thang Long – Ha Noi. The entire area of Moc urbanity comprises of 5 villages, namely Giap Nhat, Quan Nhan, Chinh Kinh, Cu Loc and Phung Khoang, presently belonging to the 2 wards of Nhan Chinh, Thanh Xuan district and Trung Van, south Tu Liem district..
The annual festvial of Moc village is grandly organized on the 11st February to take the gods around the 5 villages to enjoy the spring and natural settings and pray for peaceful country and happy people. The festival is held on an annual basis while the grand one is fixed for every 5 years. Long ago, the festival used to be lasting for almost the whole month, but now it is only within 6 days and mainly organized by Nhan Chinh ward. The unique characteristics of the annual festival of Moc village is dragon dance – which demonstrates the gratitudes toward the son of Moc village who had created this creature to help Tay Son forces to defeat Manchurian invaders.
The venue for holding Moc festival is often at the hamlets’ communal houses. These are the communal houses of Phung Khoang, Quan Nhan, Cu Chinh, Giap Nhat. Each communal house worships its own saint. Phung Khoang communal house is a place of worships for Doan Thuong, a general of Ly dynasty. Dinh Cu for La Rieu, a general of Hung King who had had great exploits to teach people how to grow rice, plant mulberry and farm silk worms, prevent against outseide agressors.
In the years of 2000, 2010 and 2015, the main festivals took place on the 12th February. Starting from very early morning, in a part of the Capital, it was boisterously bursted by large crowds of pilgrims following the parade. Whereever the parade passed by, it was also all greeted and joined by a large number of people.
Only when had the parade arrived at the communal house of the host village, an offering rite would be considered as start for the whole 5 Moc villages. After 3 rounds of drumroll, the offering rite would begin. The welcoming speech presented at the ceremony is often relating the date, month, year, name and exploits of the saints and as well as an expression of all villagers wishing for happinesses, timely rains and favourable weather given by the saints and gods … Things to be offered to the reverend saints are scented flowers, sweet fruits well chosen, sticky rice, and cake and pork or beef prepared as a whole and indispensably. On the afternoon, after the thanking rite has completed, the saints and gods have been brought back to palanquins to return to each village respectively.
Besides the offering ceremony and the parade, the host village will organize many folk games as humen chess playing, walking on suspension bridge, in-pond duck catching, earthen ware pot breaking, chucking coin playing, cock fighting, wrestling, swinging game, 120 card game, fire works, traditional opera of Cheo.
Sedan carrying parade at the 5 Moc villages’s festival
Ceremony to confer the title of Armed Forces Hero held in conjuntion with the 5 villages’s festival
By Pham Thanh Quy