Măng Sơn Temple Festival, Sơn Trung Communal House, Sơn Đông Communal House

The festival dates back to the Lê Trung Hưng period in the early 17th century, when local people built the temple. It was interrupted during the resistance wars against the French and the Americans. In 1987, the festival was restored and has been maintained to this day.

The festival is associated with the cult of the Three Tản Viên Sơn Thánh deities, one of the major festivals in the western part of the Thăng Long capital, now Hà Nội. Legend has it that the Three Holy Tản Viên deities include Saint Tản Viên Nguyễn Tuấn and his two sworn brothers. Saint Tản Viên organized annual hunts in various places, including this area. The site where Măng Sơn Temple now stands was formerly a resting place for him during hunts.

The festival at the Măng Sơn Temple (Nam Cung Điện) - Sơn Trung Communal House - Sơn Đông Communal House relic complex used to be held over 7 days (from the 6th to the 12th day of the first lunar month). Today it is held for only 2 days, the 7th and 8th of the first lunar month, but important rituals are still respected and preserved.

In the past, a grand festival was held once every three years. On the festival day, the five villages of the former Tường Phiêu canton—Sơn Đông, Sơn Trung, Tường Phiêu, Trạch Lôi, and Thuần Mỹ—sent representatives with offerings to gather at Sơn Trung Communal House. The offering was a hexagonal fruit box stacked in 8 tiers, carried by 4 people. When the young men of the villages had assembled at Sơn Trung Communal House, the elders assigned them to carry 3 palanquins containing the thrones and tablets of the Three Holy Tản Viên deities to Măng Sơn Temple. Each palanquin was carried by 8 people, with one outside holding an umbrella, one holding a flag and dancing to lead the way, and one beating a drum to clear the crowd. The Saint Tản Viên palanquin had two additional large fan-palm fans covering its sides. All Three Deities wore Kim Ngạc hats, white silk garments, red silk cloaks, outer royal robes of canary yellow, coiled-dragon belts, and tiger-claw boots. Each year, being chosen to carry the deities' palanquins was a great honor for the bearers of the tutelary god's palanquin.

A major ritual expressing the reverent devotion of the villagers of the entire canton is held at Măng Sơn Temple. Each commune has representatives taking part in the ritual. First is the chief celebrant, then three assistant celebrants, one oration reader, five wine bearers, and five lamp bearers. Usually only elderly people with both spouses alive, many children and grandchildren, and good character are chosen for ritual roles.

The people of Sơn Đông regard the ritual as very important because it affects the blessings of every family, so people cannot be chosen arbitrarily for ritual roles.

To prepare for the festival, the 11 members of the ritual board take on different positions such as chief celebrant, oration leader, assistant celebrant, lamp bearer, etc. Ritual board members are carefully selected by the villagers according to criteria such as having a complete family with spouse and children, not being in family mourning, and being over 50 years old. According to the temple keeper, palanquin bearers must be unmarried and well-behaved.

Notably, there is a five-fruit tray offered to the deities, displaying fruits available in the region. There must be green jackfruit; Sơn Đông has an early-fruiting jackfruit variety called chiêm jackfruit. After jackfruit come young pineapple, pomelo, banana, orange or mandarin, etc. In addition, the offering tray cannot lack animal meat. Legend says that in the past it was dried meat from hunted wild animals. Later, when hunting became difficult, people replaced it with three pieces of raw pork. During the ritual, the chief celebrant, on behalf of the community, reenacts the villagers receiving blessings from the animals Saint Tản hunted for them. When the oration reaches the phrase ẩm phước (drinking the blessing), the chief celebrant pauses, respectfully raises the deity's cup, and tilts his body to one side as if drinking. At the thụ tộ section, he reverently raises the cup and places it on the offering tray. When the oration continues to thù tạc (reciprocal toast), the chief celebrant uses chopsticks to turn three pieces of meat over three times, as if he has received the deity's blessing.

After the ritual at Măng Sơn Temple ends, at 1 p.m., the people of the canton carry the three palanquins from the temple to Dộc Thày ground, set them down neatly, and then everyone spreads out across the ground for the festival's recreational activities. Here, men and women sing ví đúm love duets. Wrestlers from the communes take part in prize wrestling. Outside the ground there are crossbow shooting and tree-swinging. The festivities last all afternoon. In the evening, torches are lit and singing continues until midnight; at the Tý hour (after midnight), the three deities' palanquins are carried back to the communal house. Torches shine brightly. Along the way back, through a hamlet with a banyan tree at the village gate, a large torch called cây đình liệu has been planted in advance; fire is passed to it to welcome the deities' palanquins and make the procession more shimmering and mystical. Legend says the villagers do this to reenact the story of Saint Tản going hunting, killing animals, and resting overnight at Thày ground, while people from the communes brought wine, sang, and celebrated the victory. When the procession reaches Sơn Trung Communal House and the deities are installed in place, the Tản Viên festival is not yet over. The village elders must still perform guard rituals on the evenings until the 12th day of the first lunar month, when the closing ritual is held.

On the 8th day of the first lunar month, Sơn Đông Communal House also holds a ritual to Saint Tản like the one at Sơn Trung Communal House on the 6th day of the first lunar month, but it does not stop at Thày ground; the palanquins return straight to the communal house, and the scale is smaller.

Besides the festival days, on full-moon and first days of the lunar month, on the days of entering and leaving summer, on lower-field and upper-field planting days, and on the birth and transformation days of the tutelary god, the temple relic management board (including four elderly men and five elderly women) carefully prepares offerings to welcome local people and pilgrims to the rituals.

Through the traditional festival at the Măng Sơn Temple (Nam Cung Điện) - Sơn Trung Communal House - Sơn Đông Communal House relic complex, local people reverently offer gifts to the Three Great Deities and pray that the Three Great Deities grant health, bumper harvests, and thriving plants and creatures. Through this, people gain confidence in the future and live more responsibly, behaving better in the community. The folk verse:

“Even if eating rice mixed with cassava and sweet potato

They still will not miss the Xứ Đoài Măng Temple festival”

has said as much.

During the festival days, traditional and modern elements come together; other folk games are also organized.

Currently, the festival of the Măng Sơn Temple - Sơn Trung Communal House - Sơn Đông Communal House relic complex is still maintained annually in a solemn and dignified form.