Go Thap Festival

Organized twice a year in the 3rd and 11th month of the lunar year, it has become a large-scale event of the southern provinces. Whenever the festival comes, the life of people in ThapMuoi district also dresses another “outfit”; it becomes so busy, so cheerful with buses full of visitors from other places.

In the 3rd month of the lunar year, people organize the festival to commemorate the Lady of the kingdom, who explored, built and developed this region. In contrast, in the 11th month, they dedicate this event to two heroes called Thien ho Duong (also known as Vo Duy Duong) and Doc binhKieu (also known as Nguyen Tan Kieu).

The festival in Go Thap has 2 distinct parts: the worshiping process including many complicated ceremonies, and the celebration. Apart from the main ceremonies which appear in both events, there are also supplemental ones such as worshiping the God of Agriculture, worshiping to ask for good luck, etc. Each of these ceremonies has its own procedure but they all share one thing in common: all worship proses are written by the elder members of the community. The content of the proses is about the good deeds of the ancestors and the wish of the villages for a peaceful life with nice weather and bountiful harvest. In addition, the ceremonies are accompanied by many other rituals.

After the first part is finished, people start the second, and also the most interesting, part right away! They organize many interesting and fantastic traditional games, competitions, etc. Without a doubt, once you are there, you will surely forget the hardships or boredom of your daily to immense yourself in the festive atmosphere of the festival.
Photo: nhandan.com.vn

Another unique fact about Go Thap Festival is that you can eat free vegetarian meals in the pagoda of the village. Served by the cheerful volunteers, these meals are just simply incredible! This is also a factor that encourages many people to participate in the festival. In addition, you can find many specialities and local products for your family and friends at home at the fair of the festivalaswell. Thanks to the careful organization of the local government and the polite manners of people, the festival has been held for many years without any incident!

Satisfying the religious need of all classes in the society, Go Thap Festival is truly a wonderful event that you should never miss. Combining traditional factors with modern factors, it is a comprehensive cultural festival reflecting the hopes and dreams of Dong Thap people.