A ceremony was held in the northern province of Hai Duong on September 21 to commemorate the 713rd anniversary of the passing of national hero Tran Hung Dao (1228-1300).

The same day the province also opened the Con Son – Kiep Bac Autumn Festival in memory of the hero.

After attending the festival parade, drum performance and dragon dance, local people went to offer incense commemorating the national hero at the Nam Tao - Bac Dau temple.

Tran Hung Dao, whose real name is Tran Quoc Tuan, acted as the Supreme Commander of Vietnam during the Tran Dynasty , leading Vietnamese troops to repel three major Mongolian invasions in the 13th century. The Mongols succeeded in conquering most of Central Asia and Eastern Europe, but never got a foothold in Dai Viet (as Vietnam was then called).

He died on September 5, 1300 AD at the age of 70. A temple called Kiep Bac was built in Hai Duong province to dedicate to him.

Covering an area of more than 8 ha in Chi Linh town, the Con Son – Kiep Bac historical site is closely associated with the lives and careers of Tran Hung Dao and writer Nguyen Trai (1380-1442), who was recognised as a Great Man of Culture of the World.

The area witnessed important battles between the Tran dysnaty army and the Yuan-Mongol invaders.

Con Son – Kiep Bac was recognised as a national heritage site in 1962 and a special national heritage site in 2012.

The Con Son – Kiep Bac spring and autumn festivals have been recognised as national intangible cultural heritage.-VNA