Swimming Festival at Bach Hac

The Swimming Festival at Bach Hac

The region of Viet Tri – Bach Hac is the geographical center where the first state of ancient Viet people was formed. Bach Hac Ward is situated in the convergence area of three rivers: the Red River, Da River, and Lo River, resembling three dragons bending towards each other. White Crane Wharf is the gateway to the capital, where people from all directions gather, creating a bustling and prosperous atmosphere.

The intersection at Hac is the most concentrated area in Phu Tho regarding historical relics and festivals associated with the legend of Hung Vuong. It has long been renowned as a charming and picturesque land. In modern life, Bach Hac serves as a cultural crossroads between different regions, contributing a unique cultural imprint of the rivers and lands to the city of Viet Tri. One of the notable events is the annual swimming festival held at the Tam Giang Temple site.

The Tam Giang Temple in Bach Hac venerates Cao Quan Dai Vuong and the tutelary deity Tho Lenh – Thach Khanh. Tho Lenh – Thach Khanh is believed to have traveled the world to find precious remedies to cure illnesses for the people. After his passing, he continued to bring spiritual support to generals fighting against foreign invaders, protecting the country. During the Tran Dynasty, Tho Lenh – Thach Khanh secretly aided Tran Hung Dao in his battles against invaders, earning the title of National Protector and being worshipped at the Bach Hac Temple along with many other places. The people of Bach Hac decided to renovate the temple, elevating its status to honor Tho Lenh – Thach Khanh as a deity, with ceremonies conducted throughout the four seasons.

The present-day Tam Giang Temple stands in a splendid location, witnessing fierce resistance in various historical periods, such as the Hai Ba Trung uprising, the Early Le Dynasty, and the Tran Dynasty. These eras saw continuous improvements and renovations to both the temple and the pagoda. The scenes around the temple and along the riverbank, both above and below, have always played a dominant role in the lives of the local residents since ancient times. The boat holds immense importance in their livelihoods.

Given Vietnam’s abundance of rivers and waterways, spanning both the northern and southern regions, these cultural traditions and festivals, including water worship, boat races, and swimming competitions, have deeply influenced the cultural and festival life of the people.

Boat racing has been a tradition in Vietnam for over 3,000 years and has become an enduring cultural aspect. On the bronze drums like Ngoc Lu, Hoang Ha, Song Da, and Quang Xuong, there are engravings depicting racing boats. Many historical records, such as Tu Tu (geography treatise) and Viet Su Luoc (Vietnamese history outline), mention boat racing festivals during the Early Le and Ly dynasties. These engravings on the Ngoc Lu bronze drum and the appearance of Vietnamese boats in prehistoric times clearly showcase the water culture tradition of the Vietnamese people. Boat racing traditions were especially strong during the water festivals, village festivities closely related to water. The tradition of naval warfare became a decisive strength of our army from the time of Ngo Quyen in the 10th century to the three victories of Tran Hung Dao against the Mongol invaders in the 13th century.

The practicality of life is a significant factor shaping the cultural imprint of the region, laying the groundwork for the formation of river festivals at the Tam Giang Temple site. Another crucial factor is the role of historical figures who achieved illustrious feats in naval battles, such as Kieu Cong Han in consolidating Tam Giang as a place for water training and military shipbuilding. King Le Dai Hanh appointed his fourth son, Ngoc Man Long Vuong Dinh, to defend Bach Hac, where he renovated the temple and pagoda. Lê Đại Hành was the first to issue a decree to initiate nationwide boat races. During the Tran Dynasty, Chieu Van Vuong Tran Nhat Duat, the sixth son of King Tran Thai Tong, held the position of a regional governor in Bach Hac. Due to his significant contributions, he was honored as a protector of the nation, and the statue of Thanh Hac – Tho Lenh Dai Vuong was erected alongside the temple.

The Tam Giang Temple and Pagoda are situated in a splendid location, witnessing many fierce battles of our ancestors and serving as a place for naval training for various dynasties such as the Hai Ba Trung, Early Le, and Tran. During these periods, both the temple and the pagoda underwent continuous improvements. The scenes above and below the temple and along the riverbank have always been central to the lives of the local people since ancient times. Boats play a crucial role in their existence.

Due to the geographical features of Vietnam, which is rich in rivers, both in the North and the South, these cultural traditions, beliefs, and festivals related to water have profoundly influenced the cultural and festival life of the people.

The swimming festival, traditionally held on the 20th of the lunar month, coincides with the time when water levels in rivers are high. Given the abundance of rivers, the villages along the rivers organize swimming festivals in May and June of the lunar calendar, referred to as swimming parties. The Bach Hac swimming festival is part of the river culture, and it is influenced by the surrounding festivals. Therefore, it is organized in the summer, aligning with the timing of regional festivals.

In the past, the annual swimming festival involved six boats representing the six constellations. However, due to the high water levels during the festival, two boats were lost in one of the events. Subsequently, the elders decided to organize the festival on the 10th day of the third lunar month, coinciding with the anniversary of Hung Vuong’s death. The festival’s format remained the same, with four boats representing four constellations: Tien Hac, Dong Nam, Thanh Truc, and Bo Dau. Each constellation had a differently colored boat: Tien Hac’s boat was green, Dong Nam’s was white, Thanh Truc’s was red, and Bo Dau’s was yellow. The festival lasted for three days: the first day involved a leisurely swim to check the boats; on the second day, the constellations brought the boats down the river for a procession to welcome the deities; and on the third day, the main swimming competition took place between the constellations. The swimming route started from the temple gate, went through Phu Duc village, and returned to the Tien Cat Temple. Upon reaching the Tien Cat Temple, they threw the constellation cards into the water, and each constellation retrieved their card and swam back to the temple gate to complete the race. The Tien Cat Temple donated 50 squares of silk and a silver coin to the Tam Giang Temple to award the winning constellation.

In the surrounding area of Bach Hac, many places host boat racing festivals, but the influence of the Bach Hac swimming festival is most prominent and powerful. A notable example is the Boi Dam festival in Tay Tuu, Tu Liem, because Tay Tuu and Bach Hac are located along the same riverbank, and their temples and shrines are situated along the river, with Bach Hac being the source of the river.

Boi Dam, according to ancient beliefs, is essentially an offering ceremony to honor the water deity responsible for nurturing the fields. This deity is known as Saint Tam Giang. Regarding Saint Tam Giang in Bach Hac, there is a legend in Tay Tuu: “Initially, the village had no temple or shrine. Mr. Vu, from Ha village, who belonged to the Vũ family, followed the river trail upstream and often stopped to rest at the Bach Hac Temple. One day, when the priest was absent, he was asked to light the incense. He saw that there were up to three places of worship missing in the temple, which his village did not have yet, and it included the Hac Tam Giang deity. Unfortunately, the village was experiencing a deadly epidemic, affecting both humans and livestock. Fearing the consequences, Mr. Vu hid the deity’s statue on the other side of the Nhuệ River. People in the Thượng hamlet noticed and built a shrine beside the river, leaning toward the gourd frame on the other side of the river. In that rainy season, with a large flood, a wooden boat’s prow touched Hac and floated into the shrine. Mr. Vu recognized it as the boat’s prow from the Hac temple. The villagers sent someone to the temple to worship the Tam Giang deity and requested permission for the model boat, inquired about the swimming ceremony, and then returned to the village to build boats, establish a water-front residence, and organize a swimming competition. The Boi Dam festival in Đăm has been around for about 600 years.”

It is clear that the Boi Dam festival in Tay Tuu is closely associated with the legend of Saint Tam Giang. The Đăm village temple venerates the Holy Tam Giang, also known as Bach Hac Tam Giang, and both Đăm village and Bach Hac celebrate their festivals around the same time, on the 10th day of the third lunar month. The boat race in Đăm has unique features that many other places lack, such as boats racing while pouring water on each other, and each boat having two male figures standing, dancing, and cheering. Two days after the first race, another lively race takes place.

The Đăm competition in the past involved six boats from three constellations: Thượng, Trung, and Hạ, which now represent three hamlets. The festival lasted for three days, which is too long for present-day conditions. Furthermore, the festival’s organization was confined to a narrow space (within the village). Similar to the Bach Hac swimming festival of the past, it was only open to the four constellations of Bach Hac. The current Bach Hac swimming festival has expanded to the entire city, taking place during the Hung Vuong Anniversary. This clearly demonstrates a stronger influence and wider spread to the public.

The difference in boat design between the Đăm and Bach Hac races is notable. The six Đăm boats feature carvings of images like goblets, cranes, and dragons, whereas the Bach Hac boats only have dragon heads. The reason for this difference has yet to be explained, but it is likely due to the diverse beliefs of each region, and these beliefs are decoded through the totem animals. The Đăm festival involves three hamlets, Thượng, Trung, Hạ, with each hamlet having two boats. The Trung hamlet’s boat features a dragon head with numbers 2 and 5, and the two boats from the Hạ hamlet have a goblet head with numbers 3 and 6.

The traditional swimming festival of Bach Hac, in the past, consisted of four constellations, and today, it involves four administrative units, each represented by a racing boat. The boat designs are identical, differing only in color. There are differences in the quantity and positions of rowers between the Bach Hac and Đăm races. In the Đăm festival, each boat has 18 rowers and 6 controllers: Mr. Lệnh (commander), Mr. Nạng (support), Mr. Cờ (propulsion), Mr. Mõ (rhythm), Mr. Lái (steering), and Mr. Tát Nước (water splasher). In the Bach Hac race, each boat has 24 rowers and Mr. Lái, Mr. Mõ, and Mr. Tát Nước.

The commonality between the two festivals is that both locations worship the deity Tam Giang, and they are situated in a cultural area where people rely on river-related livelihoods.

While the Bach Hac festival evokes memories of the glorious naval battles of Chieu Van Vuong Tran Nhat Duat, the Đăm swimming festival is renowned for some military commanders. Figures like Nguyen Huu Lien, the navy governor during the reign of Le Trung Hung, and Do Dac Lieu in the 19th century were skilled boat racers in the Đăm festival before becoming naval commanders.

This region was once a breeding ground for the white crane species. The graceful flight of flocks of white cranes, returning to rest in the evening, created a lively and joyful atmosphere. The locals named this place Tiên Sa, a land with a sacred and beautiful landscape, and the name Bach Hac originated from this.

The cultural and historical significance of the local people’s struggles, development, and the existence of the Tam Giang temple and pagoda form the foundation for the unique traditional Bach Hac swimming festival. The people of Bach Hac, as well as the entire Phu Tho region and Viet Tri city, have shared their lives with the river, fighting off invaders. The river has been both a source of livelihood during peacetime and a defensive stronghold during wars. The Ngã ba Hạc (the junction of three rivers) has witnessed the ups and downs of national history, becoming a place of great prestige due to the glorious victories against invading forces. This historical legend is not only recorded in the hearts of the people but is also depicted on the Hoa Long pagoda for everyone passing through to learn about and take pride in. Bach Hac is also where three major rivers converge and play a crucial role in supplying water to the vast Red River delta, ensuring successful crops and abundance. This holds the deepest meaning for the people’s lives. All these factors have contributed to the unique cultural content of the Bach Hac traditional swimming festival. The Tam Giang temple complex and the traditional Bach Hac swimming festival are the most vibrant cultural soul, not only of this Ngã ba Hạc area but also of the grand cultural festivals of Viet Tri city from the past to the present and the future.

In today’s cultural development, inheriting the essence of national cultural heritage is a crucial issue. However, the preservation of cultural heritage must involve selection, criticism, and creativity. In this context, preserving and promoting the value of the traditional Bach Hac swimming festival is an urgent matter and has a positive impact on community life: maintaining the festival well ensures that people possess community values, know how to respect and assist each other, and create a spirit of relaxation and artistic enthusiasm. The deep love for the homeland is nurtured every time the festival takes place, allowing the people to reminisce about the glorious history of the locality and the nation. Moreover, researching the traditional festival will contribute to creative ideas to adapt the festival to the modern era. The Bach Hac festival is moving in harmony with this process, truly meeting the societal needs today in creating a new model suitable for the cultural urban space of Viet Tri city in the industrialization and modernization period.

Over thousands of years of nation-building and defense, our ancestors left behind invaluable traditions, including a remarkable system of folk cultural festivals. The traditional Bach Hac swimming festival, a folk cultural festival, a precious cultural heritage of Viet Tri city, has existed, accompanied, and created cultural memories for the midland city of the Ancestors. Over time, the festival has spread and sustained vitality in the contemporary life of the local people.

From a cultural perspective, the festival’s spread in the Phu Tho and Hanoi regions aims to affirm the cultural and historical values of the traditional Bach Hac swimming festival. The festival has revived a moment of the heroic history of our forefathers, bringing us back to the summer festivals of the past. The emotional connection of today’s participants to the ancient folk festival is enhanced because it carries the profound soul of the nation.

Conserving and promoting the traditional Bach Hac swimming festival is a matter of great significance in the comprehensive development strategy of Viet Tri city. However, preserving and promoting the humanistic values of the festival will only yield results when we adhere to objective laws, effectively address the dialectical relationship between tradition and innovation, and leverage the local cultural position and nuances to integrate into the regional, national, and global cultural flow. Based on the festival organization, we must encourage new creative ideas rooted in tradition, ensuring the festival remains connected to the cultural rhythm of the times, blending modernity with tradition, and evolving from tradition to modernity.