The Giong Festival at Phu Dong and Soc temples is celebrated annually in the outlying districts of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It takes place before the rice harvest each spring to honor the mythical hero, god, and saint Thanh Giong. He was credited with defending the nation against foreign enemies and is the patron god of harvest, national peace, and family prosperity.
The festival is usually celebrated at Phu Dong village, Gia Lam District, Hanoi on the 4th day of the fourth lunar month every year. People prepare and perform for this festival from the first of the third lunar month to the fifth of the fourth lunar month. It begins with a ceremony to bless the weather on the sixth day of the fourth lunar month. A ceremonial feast continues from the 7th day until the 12th day of the month when villagers carry trays of vegetarian food to recreate the moment they contributed food to Saint Giong.
As early as the 9th century, when King of Ly Thai To was the founder of the Ly Dynasty, the Saint Giong Festival was celebrated. It was officially declared a national holiday in the 11th century. Near Soc Son, 30 km north of Hanoi, there is a magnificent bronze statue of Thanh Giong riding his horse jumping up towards the sky. The statue offers a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside.
During the festival at Phu Dong temple, the feats of Saint Giong’s life are symbolically re-enacted through a white horse entering battle and by orchestrating an elaborate flag dance to symbolize the actual battle. Young men receive extensive training to play the roles of Flag Master, Drum Master, Gong Master, Army Master, and Children's Master, and 28 girls aged 9 to 13 are selected to play the enemy generals.
During the festival, the Flag Master's movements and his drum and gong sound communicate the progress of the battle. Paper butterflies released from the flag symbolize the dispersal of invaders, and the arrival of rain afterwards is seen as a blessing from the saint for an abundant harvest. At Soc temple, where saint Giong ascended to heaven, in the first lunar month, celebrations include bathing the statue of the saint as an offering and carrying bamboo flowers to the temple.
St Giong has become a representative symbol for the Viet people in the process of Vietnam's national independence building over the last millennium. Today the Giong festival has an implicit ideology, moral code and philosophy; it presents the harmony of family and state and unites people toward a shared desire for peace by non-violent methods.