Van Loc Village Festival

Offerings include: incense and flowers, meat, glutinous rice, chicken, oan cakes, puffed rice, wine, and incense sticks. The offerings are prepared by the ceremony leader. On the morning of the 9th day of the first lunar month, after the opening ceremony and the incense-offering ceremony by organizations, departments, the local community, and visitors from near and far, the ritual and worship ceremonies begin. The manner of ritual and worship at the Ngoai Sat Village Festival still follows the ritual and worship customs of the Co Loa Festival.

In addition to the traditional ritual activities, in recent years the Ngoai Sat Village Festival has added an incense-offering ceremony and a drum dance performed by a female ritual team after the ritual and worship ceremony of the male ritual officials. The procession walks in a long line, with the leader holding incense, followed by others carrying flower vases, trays of cakes and sweets, and trays of fruit. After offering the offerings on the altar, the procession withdraws and bows in time with the drumbeats. The incense-offering ceremony is followed by the drum dance ceremony. To begin the drum dance, the team leader, whose hand is covered with red cloth, holds incense, followed by four people (two people per item) carrying flowers and cakes and sweets. Upon reaching the communal house veranda, the drum dance team does not enter but hands the items to members of the incense-offering team to place on the altar, then goes to the communal house yard and bows in time with the drumbeats in preparation for the drum dance. The formation for the drum dance ceremony includes: 9 drum dancers (1 large drum, 8 small drums), 1 cymbal player, 4 flag dancers, 4 candle dancers, and 12 rice-drum players. The drum dance ceremony takes place as follows: the 9 drum dancers dance to the rhythm, then the flag dance, candle dance, and rice-drum dance teams take turns dancing to predetermined rhythms.

As part of the Bat Xa Loa Thanh, Ngoai Sat Village, Xuan Canh Commune, is honored every year to participate in the ritual procession ceremony at Thuong Temple (the temple dedicated to King An Duong Vuong) on the 6th day of the first lunar month. The authorities of Ngoai Sat Village are always aware of their position and responsibility, so they carefully prepare for the Bat Xa Loa Thanh Festival. During the ritual ceremony of Bat Xa Loa Thanh, Ngoai Sat is assigned the task of inspecting the ritual offerings and objects brought to offer to the king.

After completing its duties at the Bat Xa Loa Thanh Festival, Ngoai Sat returns to the village to continue organizing its festival on the 9th day of the first lunar month. The ritual ceremony held at the communal house demonstrated the solemnity and sacredness of a cultural activity that opens a new year with hopes for a full and prosperous life.

The ritual ceremonies at the Ngoai Sat Village Festival also follow the ritual steps of the Bat Xa Loa Thanh Festival, demonstrating the orderliness, solemnity, and dignity of the festival here. In addition, folk games take place vibrantly and attract a large number of participants. This has created a colorful festival picture that carries the atmosphere of the traditional festivals of the ancient Co Loa region while also bearing the distinctive, characteristic features of the land of Ngoai Sat, Xuan Canh.