Spreading the spirit of ancestry at Binh Da Festival 2026
WVR - On the morning of April 22, at Den Noi Binh Da (Binh Minh Commune, Hanoi City), the procession, offering, and incense ceremony for Duc Quoc To Lac Long Quan was solemnly held within the framework of Binh Da Festival 2026, attracting a large number of local people and visitors from afar.
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| Martial arts drum, lion dance, and dragon performance. (Photo: Minh Hang) |
This year's festival continues to affirm the value of a national intangible cultural heritage, a place that converges the unique features of the worship of the National Ancestor and the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people.
With the theme "Vietnamese Ancestral Culture Week" and the message "Convergence and Spread" along with "Returning to the roots to go global", the festival is not only organized on a larger and more methodical scale but is also elevated in cultural depth and social impact.
In his opening speech, Nguyen Dang Viet, Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Minh Commune and Head of the organizing committee, emphasized: “The offering, procession, and incense ceremony for Quoc To Lac Long Quan in 2026 is not only a continuation of tradition but also an elevated ritual form, reflecting the spirit of the times, contributing to introducing Vietnamese cultural identity to friends around the world.”
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| Nguyen Dang Viet, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Minh Commune, delivering the opening speech. |
According to the Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Minh Commune, a highlight of this year's Binh Da Festival is its extensive community involvement, with the participation and coordination of many cultural, economic, and social organizations, media agencies, and businesses. The activities are broadcast live on digital platforms, helping to expand the festival space to a wide audience both domestically and internationally.
The Chairman also noted that more than half a month before the main festival day, local residents across generations actively practiced and prepared for the procession - offering - incense ceremony with enthusiasm, responsibility, and pride. This demonstrates the enduring vitality of the heritage within the local community.
Ambassador Nguyen Phu Binh, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, shared about his first participation in the Binh Da Festival: “I am impressed with the well-organized manner of this year's festival. Although it takes place at the local level, the event was widely promoted by the media days in advance. Witnessing the solemn and emotionally rich atmosphere of the festival firsthand, I am truly moved. I sincerely thank the Party Committee, authorities, and local people for their efforts in preserving and organizing such a meaningful traditional festival today.”
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| Ambassador Nguyen Phu Binh, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan, Chairman of the Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese, sharing his feelings about the festival. (Photo: Minh Hang) |
The Ambassador also expressed hope that the festival will continue to receive attention from management agencies such as the People's Committee of Hanoi City and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, thereby gradually expanding its scale, improving the quality of organization, aiming to become an attractive cultural destination, drawing more international tourists and overseas Vietnamese back to their national roots.
In the solemn atmosphere of the main festival day, the dove release and flag-raising ceremony commenced the program, conveying a message of peace, unity, and sustainable development aspirations. Performances such as martial arts drums, lion dances, and especially the 120-meter-long dragon figure created a visual highlight, evoking pride in tradition and national identity.
Notably, the incorporation of contemporary art elements into the festival, such as sand painting performances combined with traditional music and projection technology, shows efforts to renew the approach to heritage. Through this, the legend "The Hundred Egg Sack" is not only re-enacted but also "retold" in a language suitable for today's audience, especially the younger generation.
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| The memorial ceremony for Duc Quoc To Lac Long Quan. |
Following the festival is the most sacred ritual – the procession, offering, and incense ceremony in memory of Duc Quoc To Lac Long Quan. Amidst the solemn ceremonial music, the procession, including elders, ceremonial teams, dignitaries, and local representatives, conducted the traditional ritual, expressing deep gratitude to the ancestors who founded the nation and passed down the Vietnamese lineage and culture.
Sharing with TG&VN, Pham Thi Dinh, a resident of Binh Da village, couldn't hide her emotions as she participated directly in the procession on the main festival day: “Today I am very excited to be part of the village's procession team. The festival atmosphere this year is very solemn, and the scale is larger, making me even prouder. Being a Vietnamese, a descendant of Quoc To Lac Long Quan, carrying the Lac Hong bloodline, I feel very honored and proud,” she shared.
Not just a traditional festival, Binh Da is aiming to build an open cultural space, connecting the community and spreading the national spirit in contemporary life.
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| Pham Thi Dinh expressing national pride. (Photo: Minh Hang) |
According to the plan, in the coming time, the locality will continue to coordinate with organizations and businesses to implement activities such as the Ancestral Tribute Ceremony of the Vietnamese business community on the occasion of Vietnamese Entrepreneurs' Day on October 13, while researching the establishment of "Lac Long Quan Garden" to gather cultural nuances from regions across the country within the precinct of Den Noi Binh Da.
Binh Da Festival 2026 continues to affirm its role as a rich spiritual cultural anchor, where every Vietnamese has the opportunity to pay tribute to the ancestors, nurture national pride, and connect with the sacred roots of the Dragon and Fairy descendants.
| Binh Da Festival has been a national intangible cultural heritage since 2014, associated with the land of Binh Da – a place long considered to preserve many unique values of belief in the cultural life of the Vietnamese people, a special space dedicated to worshiping Duc Quoc To Lac Long Quan. Annually, during the third lunar month, the people reverently organize the procession, offering, and incense ceremony to commemorate the merits of the ancestors, nurture national pride, educate the tradition of patriotism, and spread the values of Vietnamese culture. |
Below are some highlights from Binh Da Festival 2026:
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