Thousands of people come to the opening ceremony of the Gióng festival at Sóc temple in 2024

The Gióng Festival at Sóc Temple is one of the “four immortals” of Vietnamese folklore. Saint Gióng is associated with the legend of a boy from Phù Đổng village who fought against the Ân invaders, bringing peace to the country. Legend has it that after defeating the invaders, Saint Gióng rode his horse to the foot of Sóc mountain (Sóc Sơn district), took off his armor, and rode his iron horse to heaven. This is considered one of the most beautiful and heroic images in the treasure trove of Vietnamese legends.

To commemorate his merits, at the foot of Soc Mountain, where Saint Giong stopped his horse before ascending to heaven, the local people built a temple and held an annual festival from the 6th to the 8th of the first lunar month. In 2024, the Giong festival at the Soc Temple National Special Relic Site will be held for 3 days, from February 15 to 17, 2024.

The Gióng Temple Festival in Sóc Sơn officially opened this morning, February 15, the 6th of January.

The opening ceremony of the Gióng festival at Sóc temple in 2024 began at 6:45 a.m. According to the reporter, from 5:30 a.m., many people and tourists from all over the country flocked to the National Monument of Sóc temple to perform the ceremony and immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the early Spring festival.

On behalf of the festival organizing committee, Chairman of Soc Son District People's Committee Pham Van Minh beat the drum to open the Gióng festival at Sóc temple in 2024. After the funeral oration, there was a procession and a sacrificial ceremony of the villages. The 8 offerings presented at the Gióng Spring Festival of Giáp Thìn were presented to Saint Gióng, including: the Iron Horse, a crossbow, betel and areca nuts, a war elephant, elephant tusks, elephant grass, a general's palanquin and a bamboo flower basket.

Director of the Soc Temple Tourism and Relic Management Center Dao Anh Tu said that the highlight of the 2024 Gióng Festival season focuses on the festival. Accordingly, the festival organizing committee will continue to maintain folk games such as: walking on stilts, smashing clay pots, rice cooking competitions, and bridge-raising competitions. Along with that, cultural and artistic performances will be held throughout the festival days at the Soc Temple National Special Relic for 3 days (February 15-17, 2024).

The 2024 Gióng Festival in Sóc Temple is also the second consecutive year that the Keo Mo ritual is performed and the Cau Cuoc competition is held on a district-wide scale. In addition, unlike every year, the wrestling competition changes its organization method. Instead of forming a team and registering from the beginning, visitors from all over can register at the competition area and participate in the competition. This creates an open playground for all people.

Coming to the Gióng festival in Sóc temple in 2024, visitors will also have more interesting experiences in the Gióng culture practice area and Vietnamese culture in general. This promises to be an attractive destination for visitors who want to experience making sesame salt rice balls, betel leaves wrapped in phoenix wings, pickled eggplants, bamboo flower sausages, etc.

The 2024 Gióng Festival at Sóc Temple is also the second consecutive year that the Keo Mo ritual is performed and the bridge-butting competition is held on a district-wide scale.

The Gióng Festival at Sóc Temple in 2024 at the Soc Temple National Special Relic Site is one of the biggest festivals in Hanoi and the whole country, recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. The festival has become an important event, an indispensable need in the cultural and religious life of the people.

Not only that, the annual Gióng festival at Sóc temple also aims to preserve and promote the unique intangible cultural values ​​of the Soc temple National Special Relic Site. At the same time, it contributes to promoting the image, potential and strengths of Sóc Sơn district to promote tourism development in the coming time.

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ha-noi-hang-nghin-nguoi-dan-ve-khai-hoi-giong-den-soc-nam-2024-post284564.html