Inhabitants in Da Nang’s Hoa Vang District always take pride in their time-honoured ‘Muc Dong’ (Herdsmen) and ‘Tat Bep’ (Stop Cooking) festivals which all vividly showcase special Vietnamese agricultural cultural values.

A procession in progress as part of the ‘ Muc Dong’ Festival

The Muc Dong Festival was initially celebrated every 3 years, then every 6 years, and more recently, only once in 12 years.  It, however, was held regularly until 1936, in the reign of Emperor Bao Dai.  Then, after a 70-year absence, it was revived in 2007 in the district’s Phong Nam Village thanks to the great efforts and financial donations from local residents.  This special festival was last held on April 2014.

The festival’s cultural vestiges, including the Dong hamlet and the Than Nong temple, play a vital role in the spiritual life of local residents. 

The cultural event honours the children who tend the water buffalos, and it is one of the city’s most important festivals in which the participants pray for good weather and a bumper crop.

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.

Apart from a procession of the ‘Than Nong’ (Agriculture Gods) along with representatives of the village’s clans who carry palanquins, whips, flags and farming tools, the festival also features many games such as a blindfolded-man catching ducks, and tug-of-war.   

Having participated in the festival and visited the Than Nong temple, all visitors from both home and abroad hailed the event as a unique cultural-tourism product in Da Nang, and Viet Nam as a whole.

As fascinating and distinctive as ‘Muc Dong’ is the annual ‘Tat Bep’ Festival which usually takes place in Hoa Phuoc Commune’s Tra Kiem Village on the 12^th day of the 2^nd lunar month in order to worship the village’s tutelary gods and its founders.

This annual event features a grand ceremony to pray for peace and safety throughout the year, along with a wide range of interesting cultural activities such as tug-of-war, stick pushing and ‘ho khoan’ singing (a type of Vietnamese folk song).

During the festival, villagers are encouraged to stop cooking their meals as normal, and together enjoyed a joint big meal in a cozy atmosphere.  This, thereby, helps to strengthen neighbourhood solidarity and sentimental attachment amongst villagers.

This annual festival features the offerings of such poultry and livestock as pigs, cows and chickens to the village’s tutelary gods.