Traditional festival of Tien Le village

a. The process of the birth and existence of the intangible cultural heritage:

The festival has existed since ancient times. According to Han-Nom documents currently kept at the relic site, according to the stele at Tien Le communal house (also called Sat communal house). The traditional festival of Tien Le village is solemnly held at the relics of Tien Le village; the main ceremony takes place on the 12th day of the third lunar month every year, and the village organizes a grand palanquin procession from Thuong temple (Quan Thuong) and Ha temple (Quan Nuoc) to the village communal house.

Quan Thuong (Thuong temple) was established to worship the saint jointly worshipped at An So shrine - the Superior Grade Deity - Gia Thong Ly Minh Ung Dai Vuong - a general of the Ly Nam De dynasty, the Van Xuan state in the 6th century, and his wife Ly Nuong Dai Vuong; it also jointly worships the deity A Nuong Dai Vuong, who had the merit of secretly protecting the lives of the people in the region.

The divine genealogy of Gia Thong Dai Vuong, compiled in the third year of Gia Long, and 'Tien Nam De su tich quoc am' recount: Ly Phuc Man was originally from Co So village. From his youth, he had the qualities of a peerless hero and outstanding skills; he rode horses and shot arrows very well and could also tame elephants. When he grew up, he followed Ly Nam De and achieved many great exploits, and he was able to govern the entire Do Dong - Duong Lam region, a remote and dangerous place difficult to rule. He drilled soldiers and wiped out bandits, so the people in the region greatly respected him. When the Lam Ap army occupied Cuu Duc, the king proclaimed him commander-in-chief of the generals to go and suppress them; in just one battle he defeated the Lam Ap army. When news of the victory spread, the king praised him: 'He is truly an outstanding hero of Son Tay, so he cannot but be generously rewarded.' He then summoned Phuc Man to commend his merits and granted him the surname Ly and gave him his daughter in marriage; later he promoted him to the rank of Thieu uy and favored him wholeheartedly. King Nam De paid great attention to border affairs, so he sent Ly Phuc Man to guard the Cuu Duc border region. In the year At Suu, the second year of the Thien Duc era (545), the Liang dynasty sent Tran Ba Tien to invade Van Xuan. Ly Nam De's army was defeated at Chu Dien and Gia Ninh; the veteran general Pham Tu and Tinh Thieu were killed, forcing King Ly Nam De to flee into Khuat Lieu cave. When Ly Phuc Man heard the news, he ordered his household generals to strengthen the camps and forts at key points, intending to divide his troops and head north. But the Lam Ap army suddenly attacked in the middle of the night. Facing that situation, he and his household generals broke through the encirclement, and the enemy, seizing the victory, pursued them fiercely. Short of food and without reinforcements, in desperation he committed suicide so as not to fall into enemy hands. His household generals brought his body back to his homeland Co So (present-day Yen So) and buried it beside Ma Tan lake by the river. The villagers, grieving, built a temple and honored Ly Phuc Man as the village tutelary deity. The legends about him from the time of Ly Thai To onward are also similar to those in Viet Dien U Linh Tap.

As a loyal minister with many merits, when he died, he was worshipped by the people of many places as thetutelary deityof the village. Tien Le village established a temple (now called Quan Thuong) on Thuong wharf at the head of the village on the left bank of the Hat River (now the Day River), bordering the former Gia village area; the village honored him as ‘the current village tutelary deity’, and feudal dynasties conferred on him the beautiful title ‘Superior Grade Deity’. In the past, the festival was held at Thuong temple on the 12th day of the third lunar month.

Quan Nuoc (Ha temple) was built in the early Le period - Canh Thong era (Le Hien Tong), to worship Thuan Dao Thuong Si, a person who had the merit of helping the people protect dykes, prevent floods, and repair breached dykes.

The deity's title and narrative still preserved at the relic site and Instruction No. 462, drawn up in March of the 13th year of Bao Dai (1938) - Tien Le commune, Dac So canton, Dan Phuong district, Ha Dong province, recount: He is a water deity whose narrative says: In the Canh Thong era, while dykes were being maintained to protect the country in the Day River area, the water rose greatly and caused a breach in our village's area; by the eleventh month the water had still not settled, and the people were suffering greatly. Suddenly they saw a gentleman riding a white horse with four attendants come to the breach and ask the people, 'Do you want the breach closed?' Our people begged him to help them with this matter. He instructed the people, 'If later you remember my merit and wish to pray for anything, invoke Thuan Dao Thuong Si.' Then he threw himself into the breach, and the four people threw themselves in after him; suddenly the water stopped and the breach was closed, and trees grew green and lush. It was efficacious, so our people built a shrine to worship him. In later years, during many disasters and droughts, prayers were answered with efficacy; there were also royal edicts conferring titles, and the narrative and oral tradition should be copied clearly as follows, for there is no stele inscription at all. He is a water deity; he helped with that matter, and it is known only that our village worships him.

He was a person who had the merit of helping the people protect dykes, prevent floods, and repair breached dykes; the villagers, remembering his merit and that of his four attendants, built a shrine to worship him and honored him as ‘the local current holy tutelary deity of the village’. In later dynasties, each time this section of the dyke breached, the deity Thuan Dao Thuong Si manifested his power to help the villagers close the breach, and he was conferred the beautiful title Quang Y Trung Dang Than by kings from the early Le to the Nguyen dynasty.

By the Le Trung Hung period, the village built a communal house and also set up an altar to worship the two village tutelary deities at the communal house. Since then, every year when organizing the traditional festival, the village organizes a procession of the two saints from Quan Thuong and Quan Nuoc to the village communal house, with the main ceremony on the 12th day of the third lunar month. There, on the village festival day, the two village tutelary deities, together with Lord District Duke Pham Man Truc and Lord Nghe, are ceremoniously welcomed to the communal house to attend the village festival with the people.

* Conferrals:

The current village tutelary deity - Superior Grade Deity Gia Thong Ly Minh Ung Dai Vuong:

- Fourth year of Quang Trung (16/6/1791), conferred the title ‘resolute decisive Heroically Wise Great King”.

- Second year of Bao Hung (17/5/1802), conferred the title ‘great cong abundant virtue and outstanding talent”.

- Sixth year of Thieu Tri (17/11/1846), conferred on the local people ‘continue to worship as before”.

- Second year of Canh Thinh (23/01/1794), additionally conferred ‘Great Thanh Deity Great King”.

- Thieu Tri fourth year (17/7/1844), conferred “wondrous responsive widely efficacious”

- Thieu Tri sixth year (18 December 1846), conferred “continue to worship as before”.

- Thieu Tri fourth year (12/8/1844), additionally conferred “widely efficacious”.

- Tu Duc third year (20/10/1850), additionally conferred “eminent and great”.

- Tu Duc thirty-third year (18/12/1880), conferred “continue to worship as before”.

- Dong Khanh second year (1/7/1887), additionally conferred “assisting and protecting the restoration”.

- Duy Tan third year (11/8/1909), conferred “continue to worship as before”.

Local village Tutelary God of this realm - Mid-rank deity Nhu Hoa Vuong Thuan Dao Thuong Si:

- Canh Thong sixth year, imperial edict conferred “Nhu Hoa Vuong, god who protects the country and pacifies the people, Thuan Dao Thuong Si”.

- Tu Duc sixth year (sixth year of Tu Duc - 1853): conferred “Hong Hop”.

- Dong Khanh third year (1888): conferred “Dực Bảo Trung Hưng”.

- Khai Dinh first year (1916): conferred “Quang Y mid-rank deity”.

- Khai Dinh ninth year (25/7/1924), conferred “continue to worship as before”.

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.:

- Main festival: held once every 5 years. The festival takes place from the 10th to the end of the 13th day of the third lunar month every year.

- Customary festival: held regularly every year, but no procession is organized.

From 2011, the village has stipulated: once every 5 years the village organizes the traditional festival of the local village at Tien Le Communal House; in other years, the village's traditional festival is held at Quan Thuong. Preparation begins in mid-January; the hamlet prepares a submission and plan to submit to the commune People's Committee. On the first day of the second lunar month, the village meets to discuss the main festival. The festival takes place from the 10th day of the third month to the end of the 13th day of the third lunar month every year; the main festival includes a procession, while the regular festival does not. In the main festival year, the leadership of the commune People's Committee is invited to serve as head of the organizing committee. After approval by the competent authority, the head of the festival organizing committee chairs a meeting to deploy the plan and assign tasks to organizing committee members.

Ceremonial Part, maintain traditional sacrificial, ceremonial, and palanquin procession activities. Members include members of the village ceremonial committee; hamlet heads; members of the hamlet Fatherland Front working committee and the elderly branch association; the chief celebrant, master of ceremonies, ritual officiating board; temple keeper; incense keeper; representatives of the elders' board of 6 hamlets; invite respected elderly who understand about the village festival; people aged 60, aged 55, and age-cohort councils from 18 to 60, and respected people in the village participate. Their task is to arrange the altar and entire relic area. Prepare offerings for the sacrifices. Organizing committee members are responsible for subcommittees and tasks assigned by the head and deputy head of the festival organizing committee. In the past: guilds, groups, clans, and families prepared offerings and contributed labor to serve the festival as assigned by the organizing committee. Today, this is assigned to residential hamlets to prepare offerings.

Festive part, maintain festival activities, ceremonial decoration, and security and order. Members include members of political mass organizations and social organizations in the hamlet, hamlet heads, age councils, and representatives of the village elders' board. Tasks: decorate and arrange ceremonial displays for the relic area, residential areas, routes used by the procession, and public places in the village. Receive and return ceremonies; welcome and receive guests, arrange seating; guide people and visitors from elsewhere to worship the Saint and attend the festival, write merit donation slips; distribute the Saint's blessed offerings to visitors and the people. Organize sports activities, wrestling, clay-pot rice cooking contests, football, volleyball, tug-of-war, folk games, cultural and artistic activities, and ensure security and order at the festival. In particular, there is the fish-catching contest at Quan Nuoc Lake; at the end of the second lunar month, the village pumps water from the lake so that the water level is about 5 cm, then lets all people participate in catching fish in the lake with traditional tools such as fish traps, baskets, and rattan baskets... (dangerous tools must absolutely not be used); whoever catches the largest fish by weight will be rewarded by the village, and people who catch fish may take them home.

* 10th day of the third lunar month: Muc Duc ceremony (washing the dragon throne and spirit tablet of the Saint): This is an important task with spiritual significance undertaken by the chief celebrant; the ceremony takes place at the beginning of the Tiger hour, at 5 a.m. The Muc Duc ceremony is a secret oral ceremony, arranging the Saint's robes and hat; offerings are vegetarian offerings including a betel tray and incense. The village does not have a water procession ritual. The water used for the Muc Duc ceremony in the past was taken from the Day River or the village well or Quan Nuoc Lake. Today, rainwater is used; the water is contained in two jars. Every year, on rainy days in the middle of the crop season, the temple keeper puts the two jars in the middle of the relic courtyard to catch rainwater from the sky and places them at the main altar in the sanctum of the Communal House and Quan; when performing the ceremony, that water is used as it is to wash the dragon throne and spirit tablet of the Saint. The cloth used in the Muc Duc ceremony has no color regulation set by the village; the cloth is prepared by the village ceremonial committee. After the Muc Duc ceremony is finished, the water is used to water plants around the communal house and Quan, and the cloth is washed with the water used for the Muc Duc ceremony and then put back in the great worship hall. After the Muc Duc ceremony is the flag-raising ceremony and the lake fish-catching contest. In the afternoon, the village organizes commendation and awards for village children who pass the entrance exams to full-time universities each year.

* 11th day of the third lunar month:

Morning: Opening of the festival, preliminary announcement ceremony (ceremony reporting to the Saint), offering incense at Quán Thượng and Quán Hạ; the customary festival does not hold a procession, but in main festival years there is a palanquin procession and incense offering at the village communal house. Local people and pilgrims come to worship at the relic sites.

Afternoon: organize festival activities, dragon-boat singing. In main festival years, a ceremony to respectfully welcome (welcoming ceremony to receive the Holy One) at the village communal house.

Evening: cheo singing on mats in the communal-house yard.

* 12th day of the third lunar month:

Morning: main offering ceremony at the two shrines; in main festival years, the Council ceremony at the village communal house. The two ritual-performing delegations of the two shrines attend the ceremony. Local people and pilgrims come to worship at the relic sites.

Afternoon: organize festival activities, dragon-boat singing.

Evening: Organize mass cultural performances.

* 13th day of the third lunar month: Opening of the festival, ceremony

Morning: ceremonies are held at the communal house and the two shrines; local people and pilgrims come to worship at the relic sites. The main festival holds the return procession to the shrine.

Afternoon: organize festival activities, collect flags and palanquins.

* Offerings are presented for the full three days, from the 11th to the 13th day of the third lunar month.

- The village communal house has four offerings, including a pig's head, boiled pork, and glutinous rice prepared by the giáp (now the hamlets) preparations. The glutinous rice in the offerings must be yellow-flower sticky rice, served on plates.

- Quán Thượng has 4 offerings, including a pig's head and boiled pork (the neck portion), and glutinous rice prepared by the hamlets. The glutinous rice in the offerings must be yellow-flower sticky rice, served on plates.

- Quán Nước has 5 offerings, including boiled pork (the neck portion), and glutinous rice prepared by the hamlets. The glutinous rice in the offerings must be yellow-flower sticky rice, served on plates.

When bringing offerings to worship the Holy One, the hamlets must appoint clean, tidy unmarried young men to carry the offerings in procession or on their heads to the relic sites for the chief officiant to arrange the ceremony.

The daily offerings are prepared by the hamlets, and the pig's head is placed at the main sanctuary. On the 13th day of the third month, the offerings are prepared by the village festival board, including pork shoulder and glutinous rice of the yellow-flower sticky-rice variety, served on plates, with the rice cooked by the caretaker over a wood stove using rainwater; all are prepared at the relic site.

The oration is composed by an elderly person knowledgeable in Han-Nom script, local customs and practices, and the deity registers and legends. The chief orator is elected by the elders and the whole people according to the following criteria: both spouses alive, children complete with both boys and girls; respected by the village community; highly responsible and enthusiastic about the work; family not in mourning; a cultural family. Before the proclamation is read, a proclamation presenter goes from the literary platform from the house of the chief sacrificer, following the lamp bearer to the reading stand placed on the right side of the incense table outside the relic courtyard. The chief orator reads the oration and performs the ceremony in the courtyard; then the proclamation presenter carries it inside the great hall and places it on the altar platform in the main chamber of the great hall. The oration consists of prayers and praise for the merits of the Holy One and the village tutelary deity, such as praying for a prosperous country and peaceful people, favorable weather, and good harvests. The content of the oration usually states the national title, the reign year, the date of offering; the address of the village and commune; the offerer; what offerings are being presented; the invitation to His Lordship; the honorary titles conferred on the Holy One; praise of the merits of the Holy One; prayers, thanksgiving, and wishes for a prosperous country and peaceful people, a peaceful and healthy village, successful descendants, good harvests, and every household being warm and happy… After all the ritual stages, the chief orator performs the ceremony of burning the proclamation in a bronze basin placed on a carved, lacquered and gilded wooden proclamation-burning stand on the altar platform in the main chamber of the great hall at the relic site.

Participants in the ceremony: chief officiant, chief orator; curtain-raiser, lamp presenter, platform presenter, proclamation presenter, assistant officiant, ceremonial weapon bearer, eastern prompter, western prompter, gong and drum players, and musicians. When attending the ceremony, everyone in the ritual team wears ceremonial boots, hats, and long ceremonial robes; the chief officiant wears a robe with a rank badge very solemn. Ceremonies begin in the Hour of the Snake, from about 9 to 10 a.m. Each ceremony usually lasts one or two traditional two-hour periods; for the village Council ceremony, the time is set according to the year the village festival is held. A ceremony usually passes through nine stages: 1. Stage of checking the offerings; 2. Stage of purification; 3. Incense stage (offering incense); 4. First wine stage (first libation); 5. Proclamation stage; 6. Second wine stage (middle libation); 7. Third wine stage (final libation); 8. Thanksgiving ceremony to the Great King performed by the chief officiant; 9. Stage of burning the proclamation performed by the chief orator in the inner sanctuary. During the ceremony there are drums, gongs, eight-tone music, (formerly the sinh tiền dance) supporting in smooth coordination and orderly according to regulations. If anyone makes a mistake, there is no penalty.

* Process of organizing the palanquin procession:

The traditional festival holds a palanquin procession in grand festival years. The procession includes the “Offering Palanquin” with offerings of fruit and sugar cakes arranged into a seven-tier tree; flowers and fruits arranged around it; the “Edict Palanquin” carrying the royal edict, decorated with flowers;  the “Tráp Quần Palanquin” displaying a full set of seven ritual objects and bunches of fruit; the “Incense Table - Black Chariot Palanquin” displaying a full set of seven ritual objects; the “Bát Cống Palanquin” (the Saint's palanquin) carrying the Holy One, with a canopy and fixed curved handle over the Saint's throne, and the hat and robe mounted on the throne. The palanquin procession route goes from Quán Thượng and Quán Nước to the village communal house. On the 11th day of the third lunar month, after the preliminary ceremony and incense offering, the village organizes the first palanquin procession from Quán Thượng along the village axis road up to the dyke and back to the village communal house; the second delegation goes from Quán Nước along the dyke road back to the village communal house. On the 13th day of the third lunar month, the return procession goes from the village communal house along the old route back to Quán Thượng and Quán Nước.

* Ritual for organizing the palanquin procession:

1. The procession delegation from Quán Thượng includes:

Unicorn, Lion, and Dragon teams: Leading the procession are unicorn, lion, and dragon dance teams symbolizing prosperity, success, happiness, and smooth fortune... led by the Quan Anh unicorn, lion, and dragon team of Lai Yen village, with a number of people participating from 40 people or more, wearing the prescribed costumes for unicorn, lion, and dragon dance; 02 Earth Gods; 01 conch-shell horn blower.

Horse and the horse escort troop: The white horse has a saddle in the image of a Phoenix, with reins, bells, and stirrups; the horse's legs have a system of wooden carts and wheels for movement; there are 02 elderly commanders who are tall and large, wearing black turbans, black the tunics, white trousers, and black shoes; 01 red parasol accompanies the horse, held by 01 young man wearing red satin with yellow trim, a colored headscarf, a colored belt, white trousers, white shoes, and wrapped leggings... and the horse escort troop consists of small children in the village.

Gong and drum team: Gong on the left and drum on the right, following the principle “left gong, right drum” (following the direction of the procession), walking parallel to each other. The Gong escort is handled by 04 middle-aged people in palanquin-row costumes, and 01 elderly man in a black the tunic, black turban, and white trousers starts the gong. The Drum escort is handled by 04 middle-aged people in palanquin-row costumes, and 01 elderly man in a black the tunic, black turban, and white trousers starts the drum.

Flag team: comprising 01 oversized national flag carried by 02 Veteran Association members in ceremonial military uniforms leading the procession, followed by five-direction flags according to their directional positions, then two rows of opening flags (spirit flags) walking in front of the music team, handled by assigned youth associations, with military-style palanquin-row ceremonial dress: yellow satin ao hang do with red trim, colored headscarf, colored belt, white trousers, white shoes, wrapped leggings...

Music team: by the traditional musical instrument, music, and drum team of Quan Anh, Lai Yen village, including 08 men of the eight-tone ensemble wearing traditional music ceremonial dress and 03 men on drums and gongs wearing black turbans, black the tunics, and white trousers....

Flag-twirling and senh tien dance team: walking in front of the palanquin to clear the way is the flag-twirling dance team holding command flags and the senh tien dance team performed by boys in the village, wearing traditional costumes, with an elderly village man commanding.

Ceremonial palanquin: handled by 01 youth association, comprising 10 carriers (2 carrying tiers) palanquin-row ceremonial dress with colored headscarves, yellow satin ao hang do with red trim, colored belts, white trousers, white shoes, wrapped leggings; 01 drum controlling the palanquin by an elderly man wearing a black the tunic, black turban, and white trousers.

Clothing Chest Palanquin: 01 drum commanded by an elderly man wearing a black turban, black the tunic, and white trousers, and 01 youth association divided into 02 carrying shifts, each tier comprising 10 people, including 08 carriers and 02 holding parasols on both sides of the palanquin; palanquin-row ceremonial dress with colored headscarves, yellow satin with red trim (canopy holders wear red satin with yellow trim), colored belts, white trousers, white shoes, wrapped leggings.

Edict Palanquin: handled by 01 youth association, comprising 10 carriers (2 carrying tiers) palanquin-row ceremonial dress with colored headscarves, yellow satin ao hang do with red trim, colored belts, white trousers, white shoes, wrapped leggings; 01 drum controlling the palanquin by an elderly man wearing a black the tunic, black turban, and white trousers.

Incense Table Palanquin - Ceremonial carriage: 01 drum commanded by an elderly man wearing a black turban, black the tunic, and white trousers, and 03 youth associations divided into 03 carrying shifts, each shift comprising 12 people, including 08 carriers and 04 holding parasols and round red canopies; palanquin-row ceremonial dress with black turbans, yellow satin with red trim, colored belts, white trousers, white shoes, wrapped leggings.

Ceremonial Honor Guard Team (Lo bo, eight treasures, ceremonial halberds, round canopies): handled by 02 middle-aged youth associations, including:

- Lo bo (bronze maces, cham ma swords): 04 people in military-row ceremonial dress wearing wide-brimmed bronze hats, red military tunics with yellow trim, all with floral patterns, with a tiger tally embroidered on the front, colored belts, white trousers, white shoes, wrapped leggings, carrying ceremonial whips (cham ma);

- Procession boards: (“Far Road,” “Serious” and “Quiet,” “Return and Avoid”): 02 people, palanquin-row ceremonial dress with colored headscarves, red satin with yellow trim, colored belts, white trousers, white shoes, wrapped leggings;

- Eight Treasures Hall including a flower basket, a scroll, a pipa, a conch horn, a book box, a bamboo flute, a gourd, and a palm-leaf fan: 08 people wearing ceremonial uniforms, white trousers, and wrapped leggings;

- Chấp kích (ceremonial halberds) (Bát bửu (Eight Treasures) of the temple - according to folk belief) including 2 maces, a ceremonial axe, a great saber, a hook sickle, a staff, a spear, and a Mao tiết flag: 08 people wearing ceremonial uniforms, white trousers, and wrapped leggings;

- Round canopy (Lọng tàu): 04 people hold the red round canopy,…

Bát Cống palanquin: must be carried by men aged 55 to 60, ceremonial dress with a black turban, black áo the, and white trousers. Each shift has 08 carriers; 04 people hold 04 fans that cover the Holy palanquin, behind the palanquin throne is attached 01 yellow curved-handle canopy (lọng) with 16 curved-handle cù flowers (water-fern flowers); 02 people hold 02 yellow canopies,… 01 khẩu drum with 02 elders (2 shifts) aged 70 - 80 directing;

Next are the chief celebrant, chief ritual officer, and the ritual board of Quán Thượng, divided into two rows. Following them are the senior elders of the 3 hamlets, assigned in order of age from elders in red robes to elders in black robes, walking in two rows behind the ritual board. Behind them are the Buddhist women of Bến Pagoda and Thông Pagoda. Local people joining the procession stand along both sides of the road and walk behind the procession. Families along the route where the palanquin passes usually place offering trays at their gates so they can burn incense as the palanquin passes.

2. The procession of Quán Nước, including:

At the head of the procession is the team Lân, Sư, Rồng (unicorn, lion, dragon) of Tiền Lệ village: unicorns and lions compete in very beautiful circling dances;

Sacred horse and the horse escort troop: there is 01 commander, 01 red canopy, and the horse escort troop; the horse escort troop must also be pulled by small children for the horse to run;

Gong and drum team: gong on the left and drum on the right, following the principle 'left gong, right drum', walking parallel, with personnel as at Quán Thượng.

Flag team: personnel as at Quán Thượng.

Tiền Lệ village music team: undertaken by the village music team together with the Lại Yên village music team.

Sênh tiền dance team: walks in front of the palanquin; the sênh tiền dance is performed by boys of the village in traditional costume, commanded by a senior elder of the village.

Ceremonial palanquin, Clothing Chest Palanquin, Edict Palanquin: personnel as at Quán Thượng.

Giá Văn palanquin: formerly used to carry ritual texts, now used to carry the decree box; with a covering canopy: 01 khẩu drum commanded by an elderly man wearing a black turban, black áo the, and white trousers, and 01 youth association divided into 02 carrying shifts, each group of 10 people, of whom 08 carry and 04 hold canopies; ceremonial dress of the palanquin ranks includes a black turban, yellow satin robe with red trim, colored belt, white trousers, white shoes, and wrapped leggings.

Incense Table Palanquin - Ceremonial carriage: personnel as at Quán Thượng.

Ceremonial Honor Guard Team (Lo bo, eight treasures, ceremonial halberds, round canopies): handled by 02 middle-aged youth associations, including:

Lỗ bộ (bronze maces, cham ma swords): 06 people in military-style ceremonial dress wearing wide-brimmed copper hats, red military robes with yellow trim all with floral patterns, a tiger talisman embroidered on the front, colored belt, white trousers, white shoes, wrapped leggings, carrying ceremonial whips (cham ma);

Procession boards: ('Túc đạo', 'Nghiêm viễn' and 'Tị tĩnh', 'Hồi thanh'): 02 people, palanquin-row ceremonial dress with colored headscarves, red satin with yellow trim, colored belts, white trousers, white shoes, wrapped leggings;

Bát bửu of the Quán: including a flower basket, a scroll, a pipa, a conch horn, a book box, a bamboo flute, a gourd, and a palm-leaf fan: 08 people wearing ceremonial uniforms, white trousers, and wrapped leggings.

Chấp kích: (Bát bửu (Eight Treasures) of the temple - according to folk belief) including 2 maces, a ceremonial axe, a great saber, a hook sickle, a staff, a spear, and a Mao tiết flag: 22 people wearing ceremonial uniforms, white trousers, and wrapped leggings;

Round canopy: (Lọng tàu): 04 people hold the red round canopy,…

Bát Cống palanquin: must be carried by men aged 55 to 60, ceremonial dress with a black turban, black áo the, and white trousers. Each shift has 08 carriers; 04 people hold 04 fans that cover the Holy palanquin, behind the palanquin throne is attached 01 purple curved-handle canopy (lọng) with 16 curved-handle cù flowers (water-fern flowers); 02 people hold 02 yellow canopies,… 01 khẩu drum with 02 elders (2 shifts) aged 70 - 80 directing.

Each palanquin has a palanquin commander; the uniform ceremonial clothing is made of red satin with yellow trim, a colored head scarf, colored belt, white trousers, white shoes, and wrapped leggings… Next are the chief celebrant, chief ritual officer, and ritual board of Quán Nước; following them are the senior elders of the 3 hamlets, assigned in order of age from red robes down to black robes, the Buddhist women of Rừng Pagoda, along with villagers and pilgrims.

* Each procession has 01 overall commander and 01 deputy commander as assigned by the Festival Organizing Committee. People in major mourning are not allowed to join the procession.