Traditional festival of Yen Ly village

Traditional festival: practice of rituals and folk cultural activities of the community, carried out every 3 years at Yen Nhan Communal House. The festival is held annually.

a. Process of formation and existence of the intangible cultural heritage: (Since when has the heritage existed? When does it take place? Who are the practitioners? Is there a craft patron or a related worshipped figure? If so, where is it worshipped? Since when? Are there related legends, divine genealogies, royal edicts, etc.? What are the main rituals/skills? What notable customs, taboos, rituals, practices, prohibitions, etc. are related? How are the transmission and practice of the heritage in the community currently carried out?

The festival has existed for a long time, around the 17th century, in 1884. The festival is held on the 4th, 5th, and 6th days of the third lunar month.

The festival organizing committee consists of the Hamlet Chief, the Secretary, the Head of the Front Work Committee, and other departments and mass organizations in the hamlet. The Elderly Association branch and the village elders play the main roles in the festival.

Yen Nhan Communal House worships the tutelary deities: Duong Phuong Lan, Do Lan Great King, Nai Gia Great King, and also worships the spirit of Ho Thong. Previously, Chung Communal House (the communal house below Yen Nhan Communal House) worshipped Ho Thong, but because the communal house was old and deteriorated, He was carried up here for worship (carried up about 20 years ago).

The communal house has 01 divine genealogy book in Han characters and 16 royal edicts, including:

+ Lady Duong Phuong La has 08 royal edicts, including: 01 royal edict from the 2nd year of Minh Mang (1821); 02 royal edicts from the 4th year of Thieu Tri (1844); 01 royal edict from the 3rd year of Tu Duc (1849); 01 royal edict from the 33rd year of Tu Duc (1879); 01 royal edict from the 3rd year of Duy Tan (1909); 01 royal edict from the 9th year of Khai Dinh (1924).

+ Mr. Do Lang has 06 royal edicts: 01 royal edict from the 44th year of Canh Hung (1783); 01 royal edict from the 33rd year of Tu Duc (1879); 01 royal edict from the 2nd year of Dong Khanh (1886); 01 royal edict from the 3rd year of Duy Tan (1909); 01 royal edict from the 9th year of Khai Dinh (1924).

+ Mr. Mai Gia Minh has 02 royal edicts, including: 01 royal edict from the 44th year of Canh Hung (1783 ); 01 royal edict from the 9th year of Khai Dinh (1924).

Elders participate in the ritual committee. Men (aged 25 to 30) and women (aged 18 to 35) participate in the palanquin procession team.

At the festival, there are some customs, taboos, and prohibitions as follows: Except for the temple keeper, no one may enter the Rear Sanctuary; everyone may only stand outside and pay respects from afar; other elders may enter the Rear Sanctuary only when necessary.

b. Description of the forms of expression, practice process, material and spiritual products created in the process of practicing the intangible cultural heritage, related cultural space, etc.:

Before the festival day, the village selects one of the oldest elders and two healthy elders, neatly dressed with scarves and hats, to go to the communal house to perform the “Moc duc” ceremony. The water used for the ceremony is rainwater collected in the open sky and mixed with five spices for fragrance.

- The 4th day of the third lunar month: called “ruoc niem”, an opening procession for rehearsal. The palanquin is carried from Bai Yen to the communal house for the offering ceremony.

- The 5th day of the third lunar month: the palanquin is carried to Cong Communal House; at noon, the offering ceremony is held. The Saint stays there for one night; on the evening of the 5th day of the third lunar month, a midnight ceremony is held.

- On the 6th day of the third lunar month, the palanquin is carried from Cong Communal House back to Yen Nhan Communal House and a thanksgiving ceremony is held. In the afternoon, the festival ends.

Worship objects and procession objects in the festival: 02 sets of long ngau spirit tablets, 01 incense table, 02 bat cong palanquins (19th century), 02 parallel palanquins (19th and 18th centuries), 01 bronze gong, 01 bronze incense burner (19th century), 01 pair of crackle-glazed porcelain lục bình vases (17th century), 01 bronze candlestick, 03 bronze trays, 01 worship platform.

Offerings: pig's head, glutinous rice, flowers and fruit.

Costumes:

+ Ritual team: the chief celebrant wears red trousers, robe, hat, and boots; other members wear clothes of other colors.

+ Male palanquin bearers: white trousers, the tunic, red belt, and a folded turban on the head.

+ Female palanquin bearers: black trousers, dark-colored the long dress, blue belt.

+ The team carrying long swords and the eight treasures: the tunic, white trousers, red belt.

+ The team carrying flags and swords: brown long dress, dark trousers, red belt.

Over three days, 07 hamlet groups in the village present offerings at the communal house; at the communal house, there is 01 ceremonial team to receive the offerings from the hamlet groups.

The traditional festival of Yen Nhan Hamlet organizes some games such as swinging, tug-of-war, competitive rice cooking, pot smashing, etc.

In the past, on the days the festival was held, it lasted for 03 months, from the first lunar month to the end of the third lunar month. Later, the festival was held from the 1st to the end of the 7th day of the third lunar month; now it is held only from the 4th to the 6th day of the third lunar month.

Previously, the female palanquin bearers were unmarried girls, but now married women also take part, because young girls today are not used to heavy work.

Previously, nha to singing was performed at Yen Nhan Communal House and cheo singing at Cong Communal House; nowadays no singing is organized.

c. Current status of the intangible cultural heritage:

- Number of current artisans: 15

- Number of practitioners: 50

- Other resources participating in protection: 05     

- Number of ritual pieces:

- Skills/techniques/customs:

- Number of artisans still able to teach: 08

- Current number of learners:

- Teaching method:

The rituals and rules of the festival from ancient times to the present have mainly been passed down orally and directly from one generation to the next:

- Young people participate in the palanquin procession; they are taught the principles and methods of the procession by their predecessors.

- Every year, the ritual team has additional new reserve members to succeed them. They are taught the principles and methods by their predecessors through practice sessions or by directly observing the rituals that take place during the festival.

d. Risks and causes of the decline of intangible cultural heritage:

The festival is a tradition of the villagers, demonstrating the cohesion of the 07 hamlets in the village. They wish to organize the festival to pray for peace and for the Saint's protection.