Go Thap Festival - Dong Thap

Go Thap Festival is the largest and most extensive festival of the people of Dong Thap Muoi region. The festival is held twice a year in March on the 11th lunar month every year.  

Go Thap relic site is located in two communes: My Hoa and Tan Kieu, Thap Muoi district, Dong Thap province. The Go Thap relic complex includes 5 typical relics: Thap Muoi Mound, Co Tu Tower, Doc Binh Kieu's grave and temple, Minh Su Mound, Ba Chua Xu Temple.

From the afternoon of March 14 to the dawn of March 16 is a festival commemorating Lady Chua Xu, who is said to have contributed to the discovery, creation and development of this region. From the afternoon of November 14 to dawn of November 16 is a festival commemorating the two national heroes Thien Ho Duong (Vo Duy Duong) and Doc Binh Kieu (Nguyen Tan Kieu), leaders of the insurgent army who steadfastly fought against the French colonialists who invaded in the second half of the century. 19.

The festival in Go Thap has two distinct parts: the worshiping ritual and the festival. In addition to the main worshiping ceremonies in each festival such as worshiping Lady Chua Xu, worshiping Thien Ho Duong, Doc Binh Kieu also celebrates a number of other auxiliary rituals such as: praying for peace, worshiping the God of Agriculture, offering students...

Each content of the worshiping ceremony has different rituals, but the most common feature is that they all have funeral orations read and performed by the main worshiping elders. Accompanied by additional ritual performances such as: melodious ceremonial orchestra, offerings of tea, wine, and incense. The content of the oration is praising the merits of ancestors or praying to heaven and earth, for "peaceful country and people", good weather, good harvests...

During the festival, performances such as singing and dancing, folk games, cultural and artistic activities are very rich, making people forget the hardships of daily life to come together in sympathy towards the good.

Coming to Go Thap Festival is entering a comprehensive cultural activity, intertwined and mixed together: between material and spiritual, between belief and culture, between the sacred and the everyday, between ancient and contemporary... Go Thap Festival has a folk character and is imprinted with an open time, reflecting the earnest aspirations and wishes of Dong Thap Muoi farmers. Go Thap Festival in the 11th lunar month is a memorial festival for Thien Ho Duong and Doc Binh Kieu, taking place from the 14th to the morning of the 16th of the 11th lunar month. This festival is held at the same time as the death anniversary of these two national heroes at Go Thap Special National Monument in Dong Thap province.   Go Thap Festival in the 11th lunar month Time: From the afternoon of the 14th to the morning of the 16th day of the 11th lunar month.  Content: Commemorating two national heroes Thien Ho Duong (Vo Duy Duong) and Doc Binh Kieu (Nguyen Tan Kieu).  Location: Go Thap special national relic site, Dong Thap province.  Meaning and activity Meaning:  The festival is an opportunity to commemorate the contributions of two heroes who led the insurgent army against the French colonialists.  Activities:  The festival consists of two main parts: the Ceremony Part (with traditional worship rituals such as the color-requesting ceremony, the peace-praying ceremony, the Ba-bathing ceremony, the Shen Nong worshiping ceremony and the chief priest ceremony) and the Hoi Part (with many cultural and artistic activities, folk games, and local cuisine).