Dong Ky village giant firecracker festival

BAC NINH – Two firecrackers about 6 m long, and 60 cm in diameter, are carried by men around Dong Ky village with the wish of a lucky new year.

In the morning of January 25 (the 4th day of the Lunar New Year), the people of Dong Ky village, Tu Son city held a firecracker procession. Each cannon is decorated with a star-shaped head and a bronze drum-shaped head, weighing nearly 1 ton. The body of the cannon is carved with the shape of Dragon – Lan – Quy – Phung.

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After the fireworks are brought to the communal house yard, the “mandarins” will clean them before the procession time.

The elders and 4 mandarins in the village performed the ceremony at the communal house. Dong Ky firecracker festival is held in the communal house, pagoda and temple of the village built in the northeast, located on the banks of Ngu Huyen Khe river.

At exactly 9 o’clock, two firecrackers were carried around the village. In the past, Dong Ky village had a contest to make firecrackers and firecrackers to commemorate the day when Saint Thien Cuong ordered his army to fight the enemy (the general was later worshiped by the people as the village’s tutelary god).

Around 11am, two firecrackers were carried into the communal house in the cheers of many people. Each firecracker is carried by men in the village from the traditional Cultural House to the communal house yard of the village to celebrate. After each drum beat, the young people shouted loudly “congratulations to the first firecracker”, “congratulations to the second firecracker” symbolizing the sound of firecrackers.

Firecrackers must be 35 years or older. According to folklore, during the Hung King’s reign, there was Mr. Cuong Cong, the son of Kinh Bac district king, who had merit in defeating the Xich Quy invaders, and was named Thien Cuong by the king. On the way to defeat the enemy, Thien Cuong returned to Dong Ky to recruit troops to choose a general. On the 4th of January, he ordered his army to fight the enemy.

Thien Cuong divided the army into 4 groups and assigned 4 generals to command. During the departure ceremony, people organized cheering firecrackers, creating a lively and heroic atmosphere to encourage soldiers. After defeating the enemy, Thien Cuong returned to Dong Ky to celebrate. In gratitude, Dong Ky village worshiped Thien Cuong as village god at the communal house and annually held a firecracker contest, recreating the day he ordered his army to fight the enemy.

After carrying the cannon 6 m long and 5.8 m long around the village, the four mandarins performed tricks and danced at the communal house yard. They were cheered by young men in red shorts and topless and held aloft.

Dong Ky village will choose 4 people who turn 50 in each armor, as 4 generals to fight the enemy (called Red Quan). Each general is responsible for organizing troops as well as making cannons from small to large, the small cannon (fourth cannon) is about 5m long, the largest one (the biggest cannon) can be up to 15m, the cylindrical cannon is round, can be up to 1 m in diameter.