Published:  23:19 Thursday - March 08, 2012

Bat Trang is an ancient village located to the north of Red River, currently at Bat Trang commune, Gia Lam district. The festival is held annually at full moon February to honor the significance of traditional pottery and remind the descendants to remember the roots. Moreover, this festival also brings an opportunity for the people to offer to the Deity, wishing for richness, social civilization, and peacefulness.

Communal house

Traditional ritual and water procession, plaque bathing, plaque procession to the communal house are organized pretty solemnly.

Offering to the Tutelary God is a fat buffalo barbecue put on a large table, accompanying six feast trays and four steamed glutinous rice trays. After the ceremony finishes, the food is lowered to share equally to the family members.

Including in the Festival is many game shows, particularly human chess and worship songs. As a rule, two female kings (chess) who are the most moral and richest in the village are selected before the Festival. Each of them receives 16 young beautiful and virtuous girls from 10 to 15 years of age to feed them and supply them with good clothes. All of them are trained to be a chessman within a month before the competition on the communal house’s yard.

The preparation for the worship songs are sophisticated as well. Some primary examinations are held to choose the most suitable ones in the village and then the other song teams from surrounding villages are invited there to select good voices once more time. The winners will have a chance to sing in the festival that year.

Besides the traditional cultural meaning, the Bat Trang festival is also an opportunity to promote Bat Trang pottery products to the tourists. Therefore, participating in the festival, the tourists will contemplate the fine pottery products made by skillful craftsman.