Traditional Sơn Đồng Festival

a. The process of the intangible cultural heritage's origin and existence:

- A long-standing heritage.

The elderly do not remember exactly when the festival began, but according to the Ngọc phả, it dates from the Hùng Kings era. During wartime the festival was still maintained and organized, but on a smaller scale.

- The village festival is held on the 6th day of the second lunar month every year (Hội lệ). The main festival takes place over 03 days (from the 5th to the 7th day of the second lunar month) and includes human chess; the Hội lệ does not include it.

- The entire population participates in the festival, including an indispensable important component: the Ban khánh tiết and elderly villagers devoted to the village. On the festival day, the Ban khánh tiết proposes and selects members to recommend establishing the annual Festival Organizing Committee when the festival takes place; village leaders, Party members, and members of village mass organizations also take part in festival activities.

- The festival is associated with the Thành Hoàng, a holy figure. For some reason, the taboo name in the Ngọc phả as well as in legend is kept secret.

The traditional festival commemorates the merits of the Thành Hoàng.

- The village communal house still preserves 07 royal edicts.

- The main ritual/skill is: the sacrifice ceremony.

- There are customs, taboos, rituals, ceremonial practices, and prohibitions:

Regulation on trùm age: male villagers, once they reach exactly 40 years old, must go to the communal house to serve village affairs; this is called trùm age.

Regulation on age 50: male villagers who turn 50 on the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month prepare offerings and go to the communal house to present them to the Saint to perform the ceremony of becoming an elder.

- Currently, the transmission and practice of the heritage in the community are carried out as follows: The traditional festival is organized annually; the elderly regularly recount the god worshipped at the relic so that descendants remember; young and middle-aged generations are mobilized to join the festival organizing committee and to practice organizing both the ritual and festive parts, so as to grasp the rituals, customs, and folk games, and later continue inheriting and carrying out the task of organizing the festival.

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.: