| Description |
Hai Ba Trung Temple, also known as Ha Loi Temple, Me Linh Commune, has a very important historical significance. This is the place to worship two national heroines, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi - the leaders of the uprising to overthrow the Han Dynasty and regain national independence and autonomy in 40 - 43 (AD).
Trưng Sisters Temple Festival - Me Linh is held annually at the beginning of the first lunar month at the Temple to commemorate the two Ladies' contributions. The main festival opens from the 6th to the 10th of January with incense offering ceremonies, processions, sacrifices, palanquin handovers... Every 5 years, in years ending in 0 and 5, people will organize a palanquin procession of Hai Ba Trung with the four tutelary deities of Ha Loi village.
From the 4th of January, local people will perform a bathing ceremony, changing the cover of the statue of the Queen. Then, on the 4th and 5th, the locals will hold a ritual to worship the Two Ladies at the village communal house with the village's tutelary god, the four generals (the brothers Do, Ho, Bach, and Hac who helped Thanh Tan Vien restore the Hung dynasty).
In the procession of the Two Ladies from the Temple to the Communal House, there will be: 2 elephants, 2 horses, a team of young women wearing white shirts carrying the palanquin, a team of female guards wearing brown shirts, wearing leggings, carrying swords like soldiers in ancient times, and two teams of women carrying the two palanquins. In addition, there will be a team of men wearing blue ceremonial shirts with seals, a team of musicians, a team of money bearers, a team carrying flags, long swords, and eight treasures, umbrellas, and parasols, creating a solemn atmosphere for the festival.
On the morning of the 6th, the villagers will send the Two Ladies back to the capital. The Trưng Sisters Temple Festival in Me Linh has its own unique feature, which is the palanquin handover ceremony. The procession will have the following order: Thanh Hoang palanquin and General Cot Tung will stand on both sides of the yard to pay respect to the Two Ladies returning to the capital. When leaving the Temple, Trung Trac palanquin will go first. When reaching the road to the village communal house, Trung Nhi palanquin will go first. When reaching the communal house gate, the elder palanquin will go first, the younger palanquin will go after. Both sides will welcome the two ladies. This ceremony symbolizes the image of the king returning from the capital Me Linh to visit the village.
From the 7th to the 10th of January, the Trưng Sisters Temple Festival will include the ritual to pay respect to the six female generals, the blessing ritual, the banquet and the thanksgiving ritual.
After the ritual, the festival will feature many folk games such as: swing, blindfolded goat catching, traditional wrestling... and performances reenacting the heroic feat when the two ladies sacrificed the flag to start the uprising, creating a bustling and joyful atmosphere for the festival. The festival contains noble humanistic values, educating the tradition of patriotism, the morality of drinking water and remembering its source. |
