Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh beat the drum to kick-start the festival, with delegates and dignitaries praying for peace, prosperity, favourable weather and good crops.
In addition, palanquin processions were held in honour of the Mountain God, Consecrated Nguyen, and the Mother Goddess of the Forest.
This has been the sixth edition of the annual festival since Trang An Landscape Complex in the locality was recognised as the World Cultural And Natural Heritage Site by the UNESCO.
The ancient Bai Dinh pagoda (Bai Dinh Co Tu), built thousands of years ago, is located on Bai Dinh Mountain and lies about 800m from the Tam The temple of the new Bai Dinh pagoda area.
According to the Vietnamese concept, the ancient Bai Dinh pagoda is located on an area regarded as a sacred land given it is the birth place of the eminent figures of the nation, including kings, saints and divinities.
The festival will take place until the end of the third lunar month.
* Ceremony marks 1980th anniversary of Trung sisters’ uprising
A performance recreates the heroic history of Trung sisters’ uprising. (Photo: NDO/Quoc Toan)
On the same day, a ceremony was held at the national relic site dedicated to national heroines - Trung Trac and Trung Nhi - in Hanoi to mark the 1980th anniversary of the uprising led by the Trung sisters.
On the sixth day of the second lunar month in 40 AD, the Trung sisters led a mass uprising against the Han invaders to reclaim national independence after more than 200 years of foreign rule.
After defeating the invaders, Trung Trac became King. Three years later, the Han army returned and defeated the Trung sisters and their army, after which the sisters killed themselves by jumping into the Hat Giang River.
The uprising has gone down in Vietnamese history as a demonstration of the nation's strength and patriotism, as well as the crucial role of Vietnamese women in national construction and defence.
The ceremony was attended by Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, Secretary of Hanoi Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai and many Government officials along with crowds of residents and visitors.
The same day, the festival at the temple dedicated to the Trung sisters opened, with many cultural and religious activities planned to be held until February 1.
