Doan Ngo Festival, also known as Doan Duong Festival, used to be observed from 11:00 to 13:00, on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. It is a traditional celebration in many Eastern Asian countries, including Vietnam.
During feudal dynasties, the event was celebrated differently among royal families and ordinary people.
Under the Later Le Dynasty (1533 - 1789), kings would host a ritual to pay tribute to ancestors and a banquet to give fans to all mandarins during the festival. The fans were conferred to the recipients to bring them good blessings, health and luck.
Meanwhile, ordinary people offered their ancestors fresh fruits and fermented glutinous rice for Doan Ngo Festival. They also collected herbal medicines, ate ‘banh gio’ (cake made of sticky rice and soaked in ash water), and dyed their nails with leaves.
The four-day programme at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel includes the reproduction of traditional practices of the Doan Ngo Festival, a tea ceremony, and art performances.
