The dragon boat procession takes place on Sao Khe River at Trang An Landscape Complex during the festival. (Photo: VNA)The annual festival is held to commemorate Saint Quy Minh Dai Vuong, a general under the reign of the 18th Hung King - one of Vietnam’s legendary founding fathers, as well as Tran Kings for their significant roles in establishing and protecting the nation.
Scaled down this year because of COVID-19, the festival provides an opportunity to inspire Vietnamese people about patriotism, nationalism and national unity and recreate a glimpse of Vietnam’s history through the dynasties of Dinh, Le, Ly and Tran in Ninh Binh’s Hoa Lu Ancient Capital.
Water and dragon boat processions took place all the way through cross-water caves to Suoi Tien Temple to offer incense to Saint Quy Minh Dai Vuong.
The event also featured various cultural and musical activities to promote the distinctive traditions of Vietnamese from all over the country.
The Trang An Landscape Complex was recognised by UNESCO as a Cultural and Natural World Heritage Site in 2014.
In UNESCO's words, "Trang An is a resplendent complex of limestone karst peaks which are permeated with valleys, including submerged ones, and surrounded by steep, almost vertical cliffs," nestling on the southern shore of the Red River Delta.
Archaeological traces of human activity dating back thousands of years have been found within the complex.
The Trang An Complex boasts several nationally recognised sites like the Trang An ecotourism site and Hoa Lu, Vietnam's capital in the 10th and 11th centuries.
The area also has many other temples, pagodas, paddy fields, villages and other sacred sites.
It is home to around 500 flora species, 73 species of birds and 41 species of other animals and has a diverse ecosystem with unique geological characteristics./.
