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Quan Lan Festival
Time:
The festivities are
organized yearly on the
18th day of the sixth
lunar month, but the
celebration lasts from
the 10th to the 20th day
of month.
Place:
Dinh Wharf in Quan Lan
Commune, Van Don
District, Quang Ninh
Province.
Characteristics:
The festival is
organized to commemorate
the victory against the
Mongol invaders in 1288,
as well as the feats of
Tran Khanh Du, a famous
Tran General. They also
pray for good “harvest”
from the sea.
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Quan Lan Communal House
Festival is the
village-wide celebration
for the inhabitants of
the island community of
Quan Lan: located the
central area of the
ancient Van Don Harbour.
The 10th day of the
sixth lunar month
features the ritual of
“closing the village":
the inhabitants cannot
leave, but those who
have moved away and
other guests from any
corner of the country
are welcome.
The festivities of Quan
Lan Communal House are
comprised of a
traditional rowing
competition: villagers
are divided into two
sides. They establish
their particular
training grounds on the
13th day of the month in
order to prepare
themselves. The boats
used are ordinary 5 to 6
- tonne fishing boats,
with lowered sails and
dragon - heads carved on
the fronts.
The 16th day is reserved
for receiving the
genies. There is a
procession for the
funeral tablets of Tran
Khanh Du from the temple
to the village’s
communal house.
On the 18th day at about
3 p.m (every year at
this time the tide
reaches the temple’s
wharf), the boats start.
The "soldiers" on one
side wear a white jacket
and blue pants, while
the other group wears
gray or black clothing.
When the opposing
generals meet each other
at the communal house,
the “soldiers” and
spectators shout
resoundingly; the noise
echoes throughout the
region. The two generals
make sword - tracings in
the air, and the two
troops meet each other
three times: symbolizing
the three victories
during the Tran Dynasty.
Following the third
meeting, they assemble
before the shrine and
the rowing contest
begins.
Quan Lan Communal House
Festival bears
characteristics of
traditional village
festivals, but is
particularly grandiose,
expressing the military
spirit of the Vietnamese
in the struggle against
foreign invaders.
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