The Muc Dong Festival was held regularly until 1936, in the reign of Emperor Bao Dai.  Then, after a 70-year absence, it was revived in 2007 in Phong Nam Village, in Da Nang’s Hoa Vang District, and it was last held on 29 and 30 March 2013. 

The festival’s cultural vestiges, including the Dong hamlet and the Muc Dong temple, play a vital role in the spiritual life of local residents.  The event honours the children who tend the water buffalos, and it is one of the city’s most important festivals.

A procession is part of the Muc Dong Festival

According to legend, there was some grassland in the former Phong Le Village, now known as Phong Nam Village.  A flock of ducks was taken to the grassland and their legs became stuck to the ground.  From then, it was named the Than Grassland where the Gods were believed to come down from heaven and nobody dared to go there.

One day, water buffalos were lost in the grassland and a group of children went to find them and they set foot in this place.  Fortunately, they were safe and they even played together excitedly.  Ever since then, it has been believed that the Gods only allow children who keep buffalos into the area.  The Than Grassland became known as the Dong hamlet, where buffalo boys and girls gathered together to play traditional games.  The local villagers organised a festival exclusively for the children who tend the buffalos and this celebration has been passed down through the generations.