Ngũ Xã Festival
Following his first writing on Traditional Vietnamese Events, Mr. Roman Szlam is back for more.
Ngũ Xã Festival
Ngũ Xã Island (east end of Trúc Bạch Lake), Nguyễn Khắc Hiếu street, Hanoi
02 Mar
Yesterday, I attended the festival of Ngũ Xã, the island in Trúc Bạch Lake on which bronze has been produced for approximately 400 years. This is the post Tết festival. The festival cellebrating Nguyễn Minh Không, the patron of Ngũ Xã Village, who is reputed to have brought bronze making to the island, takes place on the 1st day of the 11th lunar month.
The main activity of the festival was cock fighting. The keepers prepared their cocks as if for battle, binding their spurs, reinforcing their beaks, and dabbing them with water like professional athletes. Bookmakers were laying their odds. Crowds of people gathered around the rinks, cheering and betting.
Upon the sidewalks, quieter but equally intense battles took place. Chessmasters sat and waited for their opponents. Once a game started, the action was intense. Also here bookies calculated the odds, people bet and cheered.
The Communal House was open. Every so often, a person walked in to pray. Monday evening, a stage had been set up, and traditional songs sung.