Tran Thuong Temple Festival 2026 officially opens in Ninh Binh

The festival was organised at the Tran Thuong Temple Special National Relic Site by the People’s Committee of Tran Thuong commune.

At the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Tran Thuong Commune People’s Committee Le Duc Nhuong said Tran Thuong Temple is dedicated to “Hung Dao Dai Vuong” Tran Quoc Tuan, his family members and generals of the Trandynasty.

The Tran Thuong area was associated with the Tran dynasty’s military food warehouses during the resistance war against the Mongol-Yuan forces in 1285. The temple was built under the Later Ledynasty and has undergone several restorations while retaining its architectural space, worship facilities and numerous valuable artefacts.

The annual traditional festival at Tran Thuong Temple has become a meaningful cultural and religious event, embodying the Vietnamese tradition of remembering and honoring those who came before. It also provides an opportunity to educate younger generations about patriotism, self-reliance, resilience and national solidarity.

The festival also helps promote the values of the national intangible cultural heritage and introduce the Tran Thuong Temple Special National Relic Site as a spiritual tourism destination, while showcasing the locality’s image, hospitality and distinctive specialties.

Alongside religious activities, the opening ceremony featured an art programme entitled “Sacred Legacy Through the Ages Heritage Shining Bright”, combining light art with traditional cheo and xam folk singing characteristic of northern Vietnamese culture, as well as spectacular epic dance performances.

A wide range of activities are also being held as part of the festival, including the ninth Festival of Practicing the Hau Thanh ritual; an experiential educational programme entitled “Following the Tran Thuong Food Warehouse Trail” for students; a contest titled “I Love the History of My Homeland Tran ThuongTemple”; a competition in preparing offerings to the deities; a xiangqi tournament; tug-of-war and various traditional folk games.

The festival runs from September 25 to October 2, corresponding to the 15th to 22nd days of the 8th lunar month.

Tran Thuong Temple was recognised as a national historical and cultural relic in 1989. In 2015, it was recognised by the Prime Minister as a Special National Relic Site. In 2017, the Tran Thuong Temple Festival was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The temple holds two major festivals each year: the Food Distribution Festival on the night of the 14th and early morning of the 15th day of the first lunar month, and the traditional festival held annually in the 8th lunar month./.