Re-enactment of the Duanwu Festival celebration during the Later Le Dynasty at Thang Long Imperial Citadel

On the occasion of the Doan Ngo Festival (the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, i.e., May 31, 2025), at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Heritage Site (Ba Dinh District, Hanoi), the Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center organizes an exhibition to introduce many traditional cultural features of this special Tet. The activities will take place from now until June 1.

In traditional culture, the Duanwu Festival is an important occasion. Folklore has a saying: “ In April, measure beans to cook sweet soup/ Celebrate the Duanwu Festival and return in May .”

Tet is called by many different names such as Doan Ngo, Doan Duong, Doan Ngu or popularly known as "insect killing" Tet.

Every May 5th of the lunar calendar, from the royal court to the countryside, everyone joyfully celebrates the Duanwu Festival.

On the occasion of Doan Ngo Festival 2025, at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel heritage site, the Thang Long- Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center will display the theme "Doan Ngo Festival past and present".

The exhibition consists of two parts: Traditional folk Duanwu Festival and Duanwu Festival in the royal court during the Later Le Dynasty.

In particular, the space displaying the folk Duanwu festival recreates some customs on this occasion. The custom of worshiping gods and ancestors with the meaning of people offering to heaven, earth, gods, and ancestors the first fruits of the season with gratitude and praying for the crops not to be damaged by insects, for the health and safety of their descendants; the custom of "killing insects".

The weather in the fifth lunar month is hot, the beginning of the season with many epidemics. The custom of “killing insects” is usually: Eating boiled eggs, sticky rice wine, ash cakes, rice paper, millet sweet soup... to make the insects “drunk”, then eating sour fruits to “kill” the insects.

To detoxify, adults also drink realgar wine or calamus wine, coconut water...

In addition, during the Duanwu Festival, Vietnamese people also have the custom of wearing five-color amulets (tassel amulets, bag amulets) on their chests and tying five-color threads on their wrists... with the belief that the five-color threads correspond to the five elements and help ward off evil spirits.

The exhibits were restored by the Center based on photographic materials by Henri Oger, Nguyen Van Huyen; Quai Branly Museum (France).

Introducing some traditional Vietnamese medicines associated with the custom of picking herbs during the Duanwu Festival.

In addition, the Organizing Committee also introduces the customs of picking medicinal herbs, surveying plants... The exhibition space is realistically recreated, helping visitors to approach and feel the uniqueness and meaning of the people's Tet customs.

The highlight of the exhibition space is the image of the zodiac animal - the snake mascot of the year At Ty, made from familiar leaves. This is a beautiful, creative work of art, becoming an impressive check-in point for visitors.

The space of the Duanwu Festival in the royal court during the Le Trung Hung period introduces ancestor worship rituals, court ceremonies, fan-giving ceremonies, banquet ceremonies... recreated through a system of paintings based on historical documents.

Notable among them is the model of a large fan with a poem written on it, which was recreated to mark the event of King Le Hien Tong (1498-1504) writing a poem on a fan on the occasion of the Doan Ngo Festival to convey his thoughts and concerns about politics and governing the country.

In addition, the Organizing Committee also introduced the fan-giving ceremony space, simulated through the model of the Minister of Rites giving fans to the mandarins in the court.

On this occasion, the Center coordinated to display the fan making process, tools and fan collection of artisan Lan Tuyet.

The collection includes 2 types of fans: traditional fans (paper fans with needles, fans with embossed patterns) and artistic fans (four-season paintings, calligraphy and stories of Saint Giong, Dragon Dance, To Nu...).

On the morning of May 31 and June 1, the Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center coordinated with artisans to organize hands-on activities and experience the heritage with two main themes: Calligraphy art on fans, and leaf shaping art.

These activities are aimed at children, associated with the celebration of International Children's Day June 1, helping them understand more about the nation's cultural heritage.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tai-hien-tuc-don-tet-doan-ngo-thoi-le-trung-hung-tai-hoang-thanh-thang-long-post882628.html