Vietnam Daily News

Festival in Ha Nam celebrates famous general

Written by Dailynews.vn Sunday, 05 February 2012 04:46

A food-distributing festival will be held on Feb. 5 night at the Tran Thuong Temple where 80,000 food parcels will be handed out, containing such staples as corn and rice.


The temple is located in the Nhan Dao commune of Ly Nhan district, in the northern province of Ha Nam , roughly 50km south of Hanoi . It is one of the three largest in the country dedicated to Tran Hung Dao (1228-1300), his family and other generals who made great contributions in the fight against the invading Mongols in the 13th century.


Local residents have long organised food distribution ceremonies at the beginning of the lunar New Year to commemorate the general's achievements and to educate younger generations about the importance of saving and stockpiling food for emergencies.


Nowadays, the symbolic portions are considered a lucky charm for the new year and many locals and visitors from other regions flock to the festival to receive them.


This year, the festival is expected to be bigger than usual, as tourists are being welcomed, and is set to exceed last year's figure of 30,000 food parcels distributed./.

Source: en.vietnamplus.vn/Home/Festival-in-Ha-Nam-celebrates-famous-general/20122/23947.vnplus