Dong Ky firecracker procession festival kicks off

In the procession, each cracker was alternately carried by around 30 young men from the traditional cultural house to the ground of the communal house.

The festival is associated with the myth of Saint Thien Cuong, who fought Xich Quy invaders.

It is organised annually in honour of Saint Thien Cuong’s glorious victory, who came from the Dong Ky Village.

The two crackers used in the procession are made of wood and painted with gold lacquer. They are six metres in length with a diameter of 0.6 metre.

The bodies of the crackers were carved with the images of a dragon, a kylin, a turtle and a phoenix, to express hope for favourable weather.

Each cracker was decorated with one star-shaped end and a drum-shaped end and weighs nearly 1,000 kilograms.

It took the Dong Ky villagers two months to prepare for the procession.

The festival was recognised as one of 15 national intangible cultural heritages by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2016.

In addition to the cracker procession, the festival also features other folk games like wrestling, cock fighting, and Quan Ho love duet singing.

An overview of the festival.