Festival of Quan Lan village
Quan Lan is an island lying in the Bay
of Bai Tu Long, where vast mountains, sea and land together form a perfect
beauty in a rarely prosperous land. Nearly one thousand years ago, Quan Lan was
the center of Van Don commercial port, a very busy harbor which received many
foreign traders. At present Quang Lan belongs to Van Hai archipelagoes, Cam Pha
district, Quang Ninh province; 120km away from Hai Phong, 55km from Hong Gai and
35km from Cua Ong port (Quang Ninh).
Every year Quan Lan village holds a festival of rowing on June 18 (lunar
calendar), but actually the festival lasts from June 16 to June 26. This is
either the annual celebration of victory over Yuan enemy in 1288 or the festival
of fishermen. The festival of rowing is usually held at the beach in front of
Ben Dinh where there is a village communal house. This house was built to
worship the Village Tutelary God Tran Khanh Du, a famous general of the Tran
Dynasty who defended Van Don for many years and once achieved a well-known
victory that destroyed the whole fleet of supply ships of the aggressors in
early 1288, contributing an important part to Vietnam's victory. He was loved by
the villagers and honored as Village Tutelary God. Also in this area, there is a
temple to worship Mr. Pham Cong Chinh, the eldest of the three brothers who were
all the villagers and inferiors of general Tran Khanh Du. He was killed during a
battle against the Chinese aggressors. There is also a temple for the god of the
soil by the communal house.
Preparation:
Quan Lan has got five main hamlets and three other smaller ones. To hold the
festival, Quan Lan is divided into two guilds, eastern and western. Each guild
includes three groups which are called Dong - Nam - Van in the Eastern guild and
Doai - Bac - Vo in the Western guild. The number of people in each groups may
vary from 10 to 20, corresponding to the number of fathers who have gut sons
aged from 1 to 3 in the village Those fathers are asked to participate and
contribute money to hold the festival. So the amount of money available depends
on the number of sons.
June 10:
Locking the village. Villagers are not allowed to go anywhere. For those who do
not abide by, their boats may be burned. But it is open to villagers working far
from home and guests to come and prepare for the festival.
June 13:
Each group chooses one place (may be the house of a member in the group) to meet
and discuss the contribution of money and the preparation for the festival.
June 14:
The group holds a party, in which, the secretary of the group as well as strong,
active, good-at-rowing men are chosen to go to receive god. Those are also the
rowers. On the average, ten people are chosen, but more people can be chosen in
larger group. The number of people holding oars in each guild may be from 25 to
30. In addition to this, the people who hold flags, fans, drums are also needed
so the number attentive may reach 40 or 50.
Each guild has to nominate someone to play the role of commander or civil
mandarin. Usually the Eastern guild nominates civil mandarin and the Western
guild nominates commander.
June 15:
Each guild makes arrangements for its own boats, oars, drums, gongs and people.
Each boat is usually smoked to lighten it, then made beautiful with a painted or
drawn dragon head.
June 16:
Ceremony to welcome bud. The master of ceremonies (the village chief) together
with the notables of the village, the generals and the soldiers (the rowers)
gather at the village communal house to go to welcome god. When they arrive at
Nghe where the ancestral tablets of Tran Khanh Du is shown (1.5km away from the
communal house), the master of ceremonies presents to the altar a food tray of
chicken, steamed glutinous rice, wine, fruit and tries their fortune, then the
ancestral tablets of Tran Khanh Du is carried in the sedan chair to the communal
house and put it on the altar inside the house. This is to invite the god to
witness the festival.
At two o'clock on the morning of June 17th the god-offering ceremony is held at
the communal house. The ancestral tablets of the gods are put on the altar in
the smoke of burning incense and fragrance of fruit. Simultaneously the ceremony
is also held at the altars of other temples.
June 18:
At 8 o'clock in the morning, at the ceremony in the temple by the communal
house, for Mr. Pham Cong Chinh, the civil mandarin and the commander
respectively received one slick of incense from the altars in the two sides of
the temple and brings it to the altar of their guild to worship. Then they have
a party and prepare for the festival. At three in the afternoon when the tide
rises near the communal house, the two sides set out drumming and waving flags.
The generals and the troops are in uniform, Doug Nam Van guild usually in white
and Doai Bac Vu in black; the generals must wear the ceremonial dress of a
mandarin, and those who hold oars, poles and drums must be in uniform, as well.
They all go to the Temple of the divine being. After the village chief and the
two generals worship in the temple, the two sides deploy troops. Many people
gather on the river banks to watch and cheer. The two generals order their
troops to get on hoard the boats. Boats of the Eastern guild go to the East then
turn to the West; boats of the Western guild go to the West then turn to the
East. They repeal the procession three limes, then follow the same route back to
the place in front of the Temple of divine being with boat heads in the
direction of the temple. The two generals also stand on the prow of each boat,
sulemnly facing the temple. Inside the boats, order is restored and weak rowers
are replaced.
Drums start and live-colored flags wave. The general of Dong Nam Van reads the
proclamation first, then conies the general of Doai Bac Vo. The contents of the
proclamation are to beg the gods to protect and assist the villagers so that
they will have good health and a prosperous life and their troops will win in
any battle. Then they gel on the boats. Only one boat of each side will take
part in the competition. The others will supervise and defend them. It is about
1,500 m from the temple of divine being to the landmark out in the sea, where
two flags are hung and two referees are watching. The competing boats arrive at
landmark, and each boat picks up the flag and exchanges it with the other side.
Then the competition begins. The most important thing is to turn the boat
quickly, skillfully and to take advantage of the wind. The boats dash to the
landing pier and the first to arrive is the winner. The troops of the winner
carry their general to a pole is front of the Temple of divine being, where the
award is hung (a bundle of money tied in red handkerchief. The general touches
his hand to the award with the applause of spectators. Both generals go to
worship gods in the temple, then the referees give awards to both sides, but the
award of the winner is a sum of money five time bigger than the loser's.
Besides the festival of rowing officially held on June 18th, from June 16 to
June 26, in the village there are many other games such as tug of war, swing,
chess, performances of popular opera or classical opera, and, in recent years,
sports.
June 19:
The leaders of the two guilds prepare a tray of food and two colorful paper
boats for the June 20th ceremony.
June 20:
Peace Prayer ceremony. Early in the morning, the village chiefs gather at the
communal house. A witch doctor is invited to come. A tray of food is placed on a
stage built in front of the communal house. After the witch doctor makes
offerings, some troops (who took part in the festival) quickly carry the boats
to the end of the village. They pray to the gods then burn the boats. The
villagers have a party then carry the ancestral tablets of Village Tutelary God
back to the little temple. The festival ends in the villagers' joy and hope
prevailing in their minds that happy days are coming.