Tich Dien Festival in Doi Son

The Tich Dien (King’s Ploughing) Festival in Doi Son originated from the fact that on a spring day in the 10 th century King Le Dai Hanh went to plough a field to encourage people to work diligently. After over 1,000 years, the old festival was reproduced right in the field where King Le Dai Hanh had ploughed, at the foot of Doi Mountain in Doi Son Commune, Duy Tien District, Ha Nam Province . The festival was aimed to retell an old story and promote the “Agriculture, rural areas and farmers” movement in the renovation period.

The procession of King Le Dai Hanh’s votive tablet from Long Doi Son Pagoda to the field. Elders offer incense sticks to pray the Agriculture Genie for clement weather and bumper harvests. British painter Elena Salamon decorates a buffalo with spiral circles. Mother buffalo and calf become paintings. Farmer Vu Van Chuong is so glad after he joined in ploughing the field. Wrestlers compete at Tich Dien Festival. Performance by over 100 women drummers fromDoi TamVillage. The Tich Dien (King’s Ploughing) Festival in Doi Son originated from the fact that on a spring day in the 10th century King Le Dai Hanh went to plough a field to encourage people to work diligently. After over 1,000 years, the old festival was reproduced right in the field where King Le Dai Hanh had ploughed, at the foot of Doi Mountain in Doi Son Commune, Duy Tien District, Ha Nam Province . The festival was aimed to retell an old story and promote the “Agriculture, rural areas and farmers” movement in the renovation period. Buffalo-decorating contest To prepare for the Tich Dien Doi Son Festival 2009, the organizing committee entrusted people to go to different areas in the locality to select 30 strong buffaloes with a robust body to bring home to train. The fact that nobody remembered the colour of the buffalo which the King had used to plough the field in the past led to the buffalo-decorating contest before they started ploughing. Painters from all parts of the countries, even foreign painters were invited to participate in the contest. They used water colours to decorate the buffaloes. The decorative patterns varied depending on the painters’ imagination, from old patterns, such as dragons, phoenixes, flamingos and Yin-Yang coins to normal images, such as peach blossoms, kites, traffic signs and abstract paintings. All parts of the buffalo’s body from its eyes, nose, horns, mouth, back and belly to its hooves and tail were decorated. Elena Salamon, a British painter who participated in the contest was very interested in decorating the buffalo. She said that never before had she heard of such an extraordinary contest. Over half a day, the appearance of 30 buffaloes changed, with their skin painted in different colours - red, green, yellow, violet, etc… The organizing committee gave marks and presented prizes for the most beautiful decorations. After that the buffaloes were led to the stables for rest before they joined the ploughing festival with their owners the next morning. This year, the organizing committee selected five buffaloes with the most beautiful decorative patterns to award them with prizes, each worth three million VND. Watching the King ploughing Early in the morning of lunar January 7, tens of thousands of people from many parts of the country flocked to Doi Son to attend the Tich Dien Festival. A large worshipping platform with the words “Agriculture Genie” in Chinese script was erected in the field. At a sacred hour, drums were beaten by over 100 women drummers in DoiTam Village to open the festival, then a representative of Ha Nam Province’s authorities stepped on the platform to worship the Agriculture Genie and ancestors to pray for bumper harvest in the New Year. In the sacred atmosphere full of the fragrance of incense sticks, an elder representing the local people came to the platform to act as King Le Dai Hanh. Wearing a royal robe and holding a bamboo rod in his hand, he got into the field to plough. After his command, the most beautiful buffalo pulled the plough vigorously, leaving behind furrows of red fertile soil. Following the King, two errand-boys wearing green silk shirts sowed the seeds. After the King ploughed three furrows to open the festival, the Chairman of Ha Nam Provincial People’s Committee wearing a brown shirt got into the field to plough together with the farmers. The Tich Dien Festival took place in an uplifting atmosphere. All people were interested in joining and encouraging the ploughing festival. Vu Van Chuong, an 80-year-old farmer leading a buffalo and carrying a plough on his shoulder, said merrily: “I am very happy. After nearly a lifetime, now I can see the King ploughing the field. I pray for clement weather and people living together in harmony to have good crops”. Going to Doi Son to witness the Tich Dien Festival in early spring, people had an opportunity to recall the merits of the ancestors and to learn about an old story as well. Moreover they saw with their own eyes the farmers’ enthusiasm and diligence at work. The old farmer as King Le Dai Hanh opens the festival by going to the field and ploughing three furrows.