 Cua Ong temple festival is opening (Photo: halongtourism.com.vn) |
The temple worships Tran Quoc Tang, the 3rd son of military leader Tran Quoc Tuan and other generals of the Tran dynasty in the 13th century, who made contributions to defeating foreign invaders in Vietnam’s northeastern region. Addressing the ceremony, Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh said the Cua Ong temple relic site preserves the Tran dynasty’s traditional values and promotes national pride. He added “I call on Quang Ninh province to develop tourism into a spearhead economy, strengthen the preservation and restoration of historical relics sites and scenic places, and train human resources to meet the local demand for promoting provincial culture.”
The festival began with an incense burning ritual at the upper temple, followed by a procession of the General. There were a cooking competition and interesting folk games like tug of war, human chess, and stick pulling.