People from five communes and wards in the province joined a sedan procession, expressing their respect for the predecessor and hope for bumper crops in the year.

The participants of the festival are also entertained with various activities, such as a traditional wrestling competition, a chess tournament, folk singing and dance, and chau van singing (a traditional folk art of northern Vietnam which combines trance singing and dancing).

This year’s festival was more special with the making of a banh day - a white, flat, round glutinous rice cake with a chewy texture - which was made from 1.52 tons of glutinous rice and by people in Truong Luong village, Trung Son ward, Sam Son town. This record cake was moved from De Linh Temple to Doc Cuoc Temple on March 12.

Doc Cuoc Temple is dedicated to Doc Cuoc who split himself into two parts: one part heading to the sea to defeat sea monster and the remaining standing firmly on Truong Le mountain to protect fishermen in Sam Son.

The temple, built in the 13th century, was recognized as a national cultural and historical relic in 1962 and in the list of heritages need to be protected and kept intact.

Together with Co Tien (Fairy) Temple, Truong Le Mountain, Hon Trong Mai - stone shaping a pair of birds, symbolizing faithfulness and aspiration for happiness, Doc Cuoc Temple has become a tourism attraction in Thanh Hoa province.

Source: http://en.qdnd.vn