Ky Yen Festival

This is the traditional festival that is organized at Binh Thuy Temple in Can Tho City. The event is held mostly to mark the beginning and end of an agricultural season, and also pray for another successful season. Ky Yen Festival consists of two rites: Thuong Dien (Opening Crop) in April to begin the new crop and Ha Dien (Ending Crop) in December to thank the gods for the successful crop. These two rites are usually similar and both have the same purpose of remembering the ancestors who claimed the land, as well as thanking the Gods for the bumper crop. The rite is then followed by festivities. The temple is decorated with lights and colorful flags. All the participants wear formal attire and take part in various cultural activities such as singing, dancing, wrestling, rope tugging or watching cock fighting. Moreover, the people spends time meeting friends and family and have a meal in which they can talk and wish one another good fortune
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