Kinh Bac land has long been famous as the cradle of many folk festivals and traditional cultural events. Among them, Lim Festival is considered the most famous and typical festival. If you are wondering what the Lim festival is, what is good about the Lim festival, and where the Lim festival takes place, don't miss the following article by Vinpearl.
1. Where is Lim Festival? Means of transportation & directions to Lim festival from Hanoi
Where is Lim Festival held? Lim festival, also known as Lim village pagoda festival, is often held in 3 areas: Noi Due commune, Lien Bao commune and Lim town. Among them, the top of Hong Van Mountain (Lim Mountain) is where the main festival takes place.
Lim festival will have both a ceremony and a festival part and many special activities: offering incense, procession, sacrifice, enjoying Quan ho folk songs... It can be said that this is the second biggest festival of the year in the Kinh region. North, attracting a lot of attention from tourists from all over.
To find the simplest and fastest route to Lim festival, you can start from Hanoi capital. The distance between these two locations is only about 30km, you can choose different means of transport depending on your preferences and schedule.
2. Introducing Lim Association
What day is the Lim Festival held and how long does it last?
“What day is the Lim festival” or “what day is the Lim festival held” are common questions from many tourists. Traditionally, the Lim festival is held on January 13 every year. The festival will last 2 days from the 12th day of the lunar calendar to the end of the 13th lunar month.
Lim Festival is also one of the largest spring festivals in the North. Preparation begins from the 9th - 10th, the 12th - the morning of the 13th is the time of the main rituals, followed by the activities of the festival. Lim Festival 2023 also has a fireworks display in Tien Du district to celebrate the inauguration of Van Tuong Lake.
History and origin of Lim association
According to history, the origin of the Lim festival originates from singing festivals and ancient pagoda festivals and is related to the singing of Truong Chi in the legend of Truong Chi - My Nuong. Since then, people remember the image of Lim Festival as a festival in Vietnam characterized by Quan Ho folk songs.
The Lim Festival took place throughout the 19th century - the first half of the 20th century and maintained many unique cultural and artistic activities of the Kinh Bac region. When the two resistance wars against the US and France broke out, this festival had to be suspended for many decades. In the years after the reform, the Lim festival was reopened annually on the 13th day of the first lunar month.
3. The meaning of Lim Bac Ninh Association
With many solemn ceremonies and artistic performance activities, Lim festival is a place for cultural and religious exchange of the people of Tonkin. This is also an opportunity to honor the art of Bac Ninh Quan ho folk singing - an important cultural asset of the Vietnamese people.
Lim Festival also arouses the spirit of patriotism and national pride. Visitors coming to the Lim festival will be more aware of preserving traditional beauty and remembering the gratitude of previous generations.
4. Who does Lim festival worship?
The question of who worships Lim festival is also of interest to many tourists. According to folklore, Lim Pagoda is the place to worship Mr. Hieu Trung Hau, also known as Nguyen Dinh Dien, a governor of Thanh Hoa. He was a person who had many great contributions to the court and developed the Lim association from the scale of the village communal house into the general association (regional association) as it is today.
Nguyen Dinh Dien is also known as the founder of Quan Ho singing custom. Before his death, he built a mausoleum on Lim Mountain and named it Hong Van Tomb. After Mr. Nguyen Dinh Dien passed away, people sincerely worshiped him to commemorate his great contributions.
5. Special rituals in Lim festival
If you have read the introduction articles about the Lim festival, you will know that this festival includes two main parts: the ceremony and the festival. All activities will take place on the 12th and 13th lunar day.
Incense offering ceremony
The incense offering ceremony is one of the important rituals at the Lim festival, held at Hong An Pagoda on the 12th day of the lunar calendar. This is also the Mausoleum of General Nguyen Dinh Dien, who is considered the founder of the Quan ho singing custom. The incense offering ceremony aims to pray for peace, happiness and good harvests for people in the Kinh Bac region.
Grand procession
At 7:30 a.m. on January 13, the procession will officially begin. The procession was attended by thousands of people in solemn and solemn costumes. The procession marches in order from each village, each float, each Quan Ho group, each dance group, each music group.
The procession procession will start from Dinh Ca village communal house to Lo Bao village communal house. The atmosphere on the main holiday is extremely bustling and crowded, attracting thousands of visitors to witness the majestic procession scene.
Ceremony
This is the last ritual in the Lim festival ceremony, held on the same afternoon at different locations. Sacrifice is a ritual to worship tutelary gods, dukes, and famous women who have contributed to the country.
During the ceremony, there is also a singing ritual to worship the gods performed by the men and women of the Noi Due general. The singing group will line up in a line, stand in front of the mausoleum door and sing in, and can only sing in standard voices.
6. Festival part: what attracts tourists about Lim festival?
After the end of the formal ceremony, the festival with many interesting activities was also eagerly awaited by many people. At this time, visitors can freely experience folk games and useful cultural activities.
Interesting folk games
What games does Hoi Lim have? Some typical games at the Lim village festival include: wrestling, pot beating, human chess, tom whore nest, fairy swing, rice cooking, weaving competition, martial arts... These games contribute to making the Lim festival more exciting. and promote to tourists the unique cultural features of the region.
Singing festival - the most anticipated activity of the Lim festival
Besides folk games, Cheo singing at Lim festival or Quan ho singing at Lim festival are the most special parts. This is an opportunity for young men and women to interact, learn and express their feelings through sweet songs. The singing festival takes place on the Tieu Tuong River, creating a romantic and beautiful scene.
After singing Quan Ho on the boat, the evening of the 12th will be the time for the Lim festival dance and poetry competitions at communal houses and pagoda yards. Men and women dressed in four-piece dresses, hats, dresses, turbans... have created a lyrical and poetic artistic space.
7. Enjoy the specialties at Hoi Lim
Banh Khuc in Diem village
The beautiful little banh khuc of Diem village (Yen Phong) is famous and attracts many tourists when coming to Bac Ninh Lim Festival. There are two types of banh khuc in Diem village: onion-filled and bean-filled.
- Banh Khuc with bean paste has the nutty taste of beans, the greasy taste of fatty meat and the aroma of pepper.
- With onion-filled banh khuc, the onions must be dried onions, add wood ear mushrooms, pepper, laksa leaves, and minced pork belly mixed together.
Banh te from Cho village
Banh Te from Cho village is flexible, not mushy and crumbly like the banh gio you often see. The cake is both crispy and has a strong flavor, the fatty taste of the filling, the aroma of the leaves, it cannot be mixed with any other ordinary cake.
Nem Bui village
Bui village's spring rolls are popular with many people because they have the true "standard" flavor of the craft village, being delicious, sophisticated, sophisticated, and safe and hygienic.
Nem Bui was "born" in Bui Xa village, Thuan Thanh district, the profession of making spring rolls has been passed down from generation to generation, over hundreds of years.
Banh Phu The Dinh Bang
Although the cake is only wrapped in simple dong leaves, when Phu The cake is peeled, it really surprises many people. Under the transparent crust sprinkled with black sesame seeds, the filling gradually appears.
In addition to steamed and beaten green beans, people also add white sugar, coconut flesh, lotus seeds and five spices. Once the cake is wrapped, it is tied with a sticky rice straw string, boiled, then the two cakes are placed belly-up together, using red crackers to tie them into pairs.
Dinh To ash cake
Ash cake has a cool, sweet taste and a soft, beautiful shape. Once you enjoy this hometown gift, it will definitely make visitors remember its aftertaste forever.
Only during the Doan Ngo Festival do we have the opportunity to enjoy the flavor of this cake. Ash cake served with molasses or sugar makes the taste even sweeter and more attractive.
If you have the opportunity, please return to the land of Bac Ninh once, return to Hoi Lim to listen to the passionate Quan Ho folk songs, enjoy the specialties, the people are hospitable and respectful.