Degenerate festivals

Lim Festival in Bac Ninh Province – File photo

Of note are Huong Pagoda Festival in Hanoi, Yen Tu Pagoda Festival in Quang Ninh Province, Lim Festival and Ba Chua Kho Festival in Bac Ninh Province, Tran Temple Festival in Nam Dinh Province, and Chua Keo Pagoda Festival in Thai Binh Province. While some festivals bring joys and teach youth history, others are real eyesores since they are plagued with chaos and violence but they are still held in the name of traditional customs preservation.

Last week, a traditional festival in Phu Tho Province turned violent as thousands of young men battled for a lucky ball called phet. As reported by Tuoi Tre newspaper, during the spring time festival called “Phet Hien Quan”, which took place on the afternoon of the 13th day of the lunar year, thousands of men were scrambling for “phet” and “chui” (small wood balls believed to bring luck), leading to violence. The annual event has been organized for decades in commemoration of Thieu Hoa, a female general who helped two Vietnamese heroines, the Trung sisters, in an uprising against invaders. Traditionally, those successfully grasping one of the balls should be blessed with fortune for the whole year.

Another mass brawl broke out in Vinh Phuc Province early this week as young local men were fighting for phet. The festival takes place on the seventh day of the first lunar month in Ban Gian to commemorate the four generals who defeated rebels and restored peace in the past.

Similarly, thousands of people flocked to the Tran Temple Festival in Nam Dinh Province, widely referred as “Tran temple’s seal opening ceremony”, on the 12th day of the first lunar month to get a lucky stamp, causing unbelievable chaos and violence. In 2015, the Saint Giong Festival in Hanoi became nightmarish as dozens of visitors attacked those people in a parade after some tried to snatch the sacred offerings.

There are other festivals in Vietnam that are also criticized for their “brutality” such as the buffalo stabbing festival in the Central Highlands and the buffalo fighting festivals in Haiphong City and Vinh Phuc Province, which end up with the bloody death of one of the buffaloes.

With all the bad images seen on local media, many scholars have raised a voice against such violent festivals. Many have urged authorities to put an end to violent and brutal festivals as they are against the historical, cultural and humane values of the nation. Last year, the pig chopping festival in Nem Thuong Village in Bac Ninh Province came under fire for its cruelty. The Animals Asia Foundation (AAF), the Hong Kong-based organization, expressed concern about this festival as it went against animal welfare.

“The things that are no longer appropriate should be changed or abolished. Festivals should be associated with local identity and culture to spread the spirit of humanity to the future generations,” Nguyen Thanh Tam from AAF says on Vietnamnet.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh says on the local news site Dan Tri that these customs should be reviewed and that positive features should be maintained while negative ones should be removed. “I hope no brutal and violent festival would be held in 2016, but this needs cooperation of localities,” he says.

According to the minister, the ministry has issued a circular on festival management, with effective from February 5. Festivals can be held in a way that preserves cultural values, but they should be adjusted in line with the norms of a modern society. Those rituals and festivals plagued with superstition, cruel fighting and horror will be banned. Phan Dinh Tan, spokesman of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, says in Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper that the ministry has never encouraged violent festivals. Chaos and fighting are blamed for the poor awareness of a number of participants and the poor organizing job of local authorities.

The Vietnamese have long had the tradition of altruism and humanity, and these traditions should be promoted and maintained. On February 26 many people come to festivals to pray for fame and wealth, not for peace of mind and fun. The seal opening festival at the Tran Temple carries beautiful religious and cultural values but it has become a fight among greedy people. Local authorities should take strong measures to protect the good of traditional festivals, Tan says.