Chu Dong Tu Temple Festival

This festival originated from a legend. The third King of the Hung Dynasty had a daughter, Princess Tien Dung. At the age of 18, Tien Dung was a most beautiful girl. Yet, instead of settling down to a married life, the Princess preferred to sightsee at various places of interest in the country. In spring, particularly she used to travel by boat on rivers, and even on the sea.

Meanwhile, a very poor fisherman, Chu Cu Van and his son, Chu Dong Tu, lived in Chu Xa village (now a part of Gia Lam district, Hanoi). There was only one piece of loin cloth for both: when one of them wore it, the other had to stay in the water. Finally, when the father, struck by grave illness, was about to pass away, he told his son to bury him naked so that the latter might use the loin cloth. But filial affection did not allow the son to follow this advice. Instead, he buried his father along with the loin cloth. Thereupon, the son had to stay in water all the time.

One day, while he was fishing on the river, Chu Dong Tu was deeply frightened as he heard sounds of music, and saw boats, with fluttering flags, coming. To keep himself out of sight, the young man rushed to the bank and buried himself deeply in the sand near a bush of reeds.

Indeed, it was Princess Tien Dung boating in the river. As she found the scenery poetic and inspiring, she ordered to stop the boat for some time in this section of river. As fate ordained it, she ordered that a certain place on the bank, with a bush of reed, be surrounded by a long and wide strip of gauze cloth so that she could have a bath there. That happened to be the very place where Chu Dong Tu was hiding himself. The water which she poured on herself removed the sand all around and soon exposed to sight the naked body of Chu Dong Tu. Shyness and surprise seized the Princess, but, after a few minutes, she composed herself and started questioning the young man. After listening to what he said, the Princess came to the conclusion that this was, indeed, the husband which God had chosen for her, and she decided to marry him. On hearing reports from escort officials, the King was mad with anger and no longer recognised Tien Dung as his daughter. Therefore, she and her husband had to remain at that place, which was in fact the estuary of a river. She opened a shop and the place soon became a market and a port which was called at by foreign ships.

One day, Chu Dong Tu accepted the invitation of a foreign trader and embarked on a long sea voyage to foreign lands. He reached Quynh Vien island where he met a monk who had attained enlightenment. At his earnest request, the monk agreed to teach him. After Chu Dong Tu had completed successfully his studies, the monk, on bidding farewell, gave him a conical hat and a stick and said: "Remember, these two objects are sacred." On his return, Chu Dong Tu and his wife gave up business and travelled extensively here and there in order to preach religion and provide medical care to the population. Once, they had to spend the night at a deserted place on the bank of a river, as crossings could be effected only in daytime. They planted the stick on the ground and put the conical hat on one end of the stick in order to have a small roof to sit under. Yet, during that very night, a castle with ramparts and a populated city sprang up in that very place. A kingdom indeed! The angry Hung King soon sent troops to attack the city. As the troops reached the other bank of the river at sunset, they had to spend the night there and wait for the dawn before attacking. But at midnight, the whole area was overwhelmed by winds, lightning, thunder and violent rains and, as a result, Chu Dong Tu, Princess Tien Dung, their castle and city vanished into the sky and the whole area became a lake which was later called as "Nhat Da" Lagoon, that is, "One Night Lagoon".

Another version says that Chu Dong Tu also had a concubine, a member of the Nguyen family and a native of nearby Dong Cao village whose inhabitants built a temple dedicated to all the three personalities.

At present, many villages on both sides of the Red River, from Gia Lam down to Thuong Tin (right bank) and in Chau Giang (left bank) worship Chu Dong Tu and his wife. But the main place of worship is Yen Vinh village (Chau Giang district, Hai Hung province) where the Nhat Da Trach Lagoon is located. Starting from Hanoi, one can reach this village by following the dyke on the left bank of the Red River for 22 kilometres.

Chu Dong Tu temple in Yen Vinh, village comprises three big rooms, with the back chamber containing the tablets of the three personalities. A festival is held every year at the temple from February 10 to 13 (lunar year). Opening the festival is the ‘Water Procession’ which is preceded by a golden dragon, a good number of flags and parasols and a palanquin carrying a profusely decorated stick and conical hat - the two magic articles bestowed on Chu Dong Tu by Lord Buddha. Then come three palanquins containing the tablets of the 3 spirits. When the procession reaches the bank of the river, several decorated boats row to the n-middle of the river in order to get water which is put in a jar, thus symbolising the act of providing a bath for Princess Tien Dung.

Thereafter, the procession makes for the temple, where is held the incense - presenting ceremony, performed by an old man and an old woman, both of whom are personable and well-respected in the village.

The ceremony is followed by a castanet dance performed by a group of 13 to 14 year-old girls, wearing traditional coloured dresses and turbans. The girls play on the castanets while they dance.

Outside the temple, various games are organised such as wrestling, cock-fights, human chess and traditional and religious dances, including a dance of the "girl of easy virtue."

A ‘Touring Ceremony’ is held on the second day. A procession of the three palanquins go to various places around the village, including the Da Trach Lagoon, and stop at places where the castle and ramparts are supposed to have been located in the past. Symbolically, the ceremony provides an opportunity for Chu Dong Tu and his wife to visit old places which are close to their hearts.

What underlies the Chu Dong Tu Temple Festival is a legend associated with the development of new settlements, rural and urban, in Vietnam. It also marks spring merry-making in an area of the Red River Delta.