Every year, Da Nang organises nearly 30 annual festivals, of which there are more than 10 take place at the beginning of the year, mainly at village communal houses. This year, after a long time of COVID-19 hiatus, the first festivals of this year have been held with an array of exciting activities full of festive ambiance in order to connect the community, meet the needs of cultural enjoyment of the people.

Village boat racing teams compete at the Tuy Loan communal village house festival. Photo: X.D

Taking place in 2 days, January 30 and 31, the Tuy Loan village communal house festival in Hoa Phong Commune, Hoa Vang District took place excitingly with many interesting activities. As shared by Vice Chairman of Hoa Phong Commune People's Committee Ngo Van Nhan, this year's festival still retained the traditional features in the organisation stage.

In particular, the ceremony was held solemnly with indispensable rituals. The festive part featured familiar folk games such as tug of war, a completion for baking rice paper, making Tet cakes and ‘bai choi’ (singing while acting as playing cards). In particular, the festival treated the participants with a number of exciting activities such as human chess competition, boat racing and traditional food contest.

“This year's festival indeed contributed to forging more solidarity among the people, encouraging the local emulation movement to build a new-style rural area, and at the same time, meeting the needs of people to enjoy the culture, attracting tourists and promoting the image of the land and people”, said Nhan.

During two days of organisation, the Tuy Loan village communal house festival attracted hundreds of people, which was a positive signal in bringing a joyful atmosphere at the beginning of the new year 2023 and contributing to the cohesion of communities and villages.

Ms. Dang Thi Ngan, a resident of Tuy Loan village, said that after a 2-year pause due to the impact of COVID-19, this year, the people of Tuy Loan village jubilantly opened a cozy get-together for their children and grandchildren who tout for business away from home. This year, besides the ceremony activities, there are also many festival activities, so the people are very excited and eager to join fully.

“In the minds of the villagers, from the old to the young, all want to participate to pray for a peaceful and prosperous year. This is also a practical activity for people to maintain and promote the good traditions of their forefathers, contributing to preserving the cultural values of the homeland”, said Ngan.

Following the Tuy Loan Communal Village House Festival, also in January, Hoa Phong Commune will organise the Bo Ban village communal house festival with many folk games such as boat racing and Tuong (classic drama) singing in the festival. In addition, other communes of Hoa Vang District also held other festivals in turn such as communal village house festival in the villages of Duong Lam, Xuan Phu and Cam Toai.

In Lien Chieu District, the Hoa My and Hoa Phu communal village house festivals will take place on February 2 and 3, respectively. In the fourth lunar month of this year, the district will hold the Phuoc Ly communal village house festival on a large scale with the participation of wards in the city.

In Son Tra District, on the 26^th day of the first lunar month, the fishing festival in Man Thai ward takes place. This is a ward-level festival, before Son Tra District held a district-level fishing festival.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Man Thai Ward Nguyen Lam Ha said that although it is a ward-level festival, the locality still organises a full part of the ceremony and festival. Currently, the locality is developing a specific organisational plan, which will organise a number of folk games for the community to participate.

With a regard to the ‘Cau Ngu’ (Fish worshipping festival) this year, Thanh Khe District also restored it after 3 years of pause triggered by COVID-19, in order to create a highlight for local cultural and festival activities. Vice Chairman of Thanh Khe District People's Committee Nguyen Huu Cong said that this year's fishing festival will takes place in 3 days (from 18^th to 20^th days of the first lunar month of 2023) at the beach on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in Thanh Khe Dong and Xuan Ha wards.

In particular, the ceremony will follow the traditional ritual with the local cultural identity. As for the festival’s festive part will organise cultural, artistic and sports activities of community and folk character suitable for coastal residents such as ‘bai choi’, contests of painting, knitting nets and carrying fish.

“With many festive activities, this year's festival aims to increase the ability to attract tourists to develop the local economy. At the same time, it arouses the sense of pride and responsibility of the population in preserving and promoting intangible cultural values in the district”, said Cong.

As one of the largest of its kinds, the Quan The Am municipal-scale festival that has postponed for 2 years due to COVID-19 will return this year with many highly promised activities.

Head of the Ngu Hanh Son District Culture and Information Office Hoang Thi Phuong Loan said that this year, the Quan The Am festival will take place in 3 days, from March 8 to 10 (on the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th day of the second lunar month) at the campus of Quan The Am Pagoda and the roads of Su Van Hanh and Le Van Hien.

This year's festival will include many activities, in which ritual, belief and religious activities will have a calligraphy performance, a costume ceremony of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, a procession of worshiping Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara at the Marble Tourist Area and the planting of Bodhi trees.

In the festival, there are also many cultural, artistic and sports activities such as art kite flying and Non Nuoc stone carving contest, a vegetarian cooking show, an exhibition of painting - calligraphy - ornamental stones, a boat race on the Co Co River and a village-scale chess festival, thereby developing local tourism products and meeting the needs of spiritual life and community beliefs.

At the same time, the festival helps create conditions for tourists and people from all walks of life to participate in the creation and enjoyment of culture, thus contributing to promoting the socialisation of festival and tourism activities in the city.

Reporting by XUAN DUNG - Translating by A.THU