Tens of thousands of visitors converged on Dong Ky village in Bac Ninh province, about 30km from Hanoi, on January 29 to celebrate its traditional firecracker festival.

Four respected elders from each of the four hamlets in the village were selected to perform the ritual, praying for good weather, bumper crops and prosperity.

The festival, which is organised on the fourth day of the first lunar month and lasts for three days, aims to honour General Thien Cuong who helped Hung Kings recruit young villagers to fire on the enemy and was later considered the tutelary god of the village.

To perform a solemn ritual, more than 400 people, including 300 unmarried men, are mobilised to support the procession. Folk games such as human chess, badminton, volleyball, martial arts and cock fighting are held during the event.

Since the Government banned the use of firecrackers, local people have made symbolic firecrackers and organised the ritual.

VietNamNet/VOV