Learn about tourism resources of Van Don district - Quang Ninh province

In the past, there were small merchant ships in this area following residents from other regions who encountered big waves and strong winds at sea and came here to take shelter.

This area was surveyed once by Quang Ninh Museum and again by the Institute of Archaeology. Through two surveys, the team found artifacts from the post-Neolithic period, belonging to the Ha Long culture. The sites found here are similar to those found in Soi Nhu cave, Dong Trong cave of the district such as: earthenware, porcelain, pottery, some mammal bones, and food remains.

The discovery of this site further proves that Van Don district was a place of residence for people in the Neolithic period. Together with Soi Nhu cave, Ha Giat cave, Dong Trong cave and Ba Vung site, it forms an archaeological site road along the coast from Ha Long commune to the wharf - Cai Rong town.

2.2.2.2. Intangible cultural heritage

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a, Historical Van Don Festival

In a year, Quan Lan village has two main festivals: the cool praying festival on the 6th of January and the Van Don festival in the 6th lunar month. In addition, the islanders also hold the Ky An ceremony on the 25th of December of the lunar calendar. On that day, people carry water from the well to bathe the Buddha statue and the saint statue in the temple.

However, the festival that attracts the attention of the people of the district and people of other localities in the country is the historical Van Don festival. Van Don festival is completely different from some festivals in the country in general, Quang Ninh in particular. The difference is that it is not a rain-fish praying ceremony, but here the ceremony and the festival are depicted through historical recollections of the event of the Tran Dynasty army and people under the command of deputy general Tran Khanh Du who defeated the Yuan Dynasty's food boat fleet in 1288 at the Manh River in the ancient Van Don area (Quan Lan today).

The festival is held from June 10 to June 20, but the main festival is on the 18th. Quan Lan people also pass on a song that says:

Wherever you go

Remember the festival day and come back together

The festival is held in the center of the island, in the area of Communal Houses, Temples, and Pagodas in the Doai hamlet. The boat race takes place in the sea in front.

Village custom stipulates: June 10 is the day of closing the village. From this day on, no islander is allowed to leave the island, but people working far away or people from other places can come to attend the festival. Therefore, during the whole year, only ten festival days have enough villagers and therefore the festival days are the busiest days of the year in the island homeland. On this day, the people change the clothes of the saint's statue and assign people to prepare for the festival's work. The work that needs to be prepared is as follows:

Regarding the preparation of racing boats: in the past, the villagers spent their own money to build new boats before the festival took place, each year they built them and did not keep them until the following year. When the festival ended, the village would sell them to people who wanted to buy them as fishing boats. Later, when conditions were difficult and the villagers did not have enough money to build new racing boats, the village would borrow fishing boats from families who had boats. Any family that lent a boat to the village to use as a racing boat was considered a great honor and would have good luck in life. Currently, the village has raised money to build two new racing boats, with a load capacity of about 6 tons, wide, deep, with lowered sails, and decorated with dragon heads on the bows. When the festival ended, soldiers from both sides pulled the boats up onto the sandbank in front of the communal house to preserve them for use next year.

Regarding the selection of generals: The two sides of Dong Nam Van (Van side) and Doai Bac Vo (Van side) conduct the selection of generals. The chosen person must have a majestic appearance, a high position and family background, and be respected by everyone. However, there is one special thing: no one can be a general for two consecutive years. The general's costume: red shirt, red pants, red scarf (Van general), yellow scarf (Van general), blue belt crossed on both sides, red shoes, carrying a large sword, with attendants on both sides.

From June 13 to 15, the Giaps prepare for the main festival. First of all, they hold a meeting and present the total number of men in their Giaps from one year old and up. Then they prepare offerings, including: an 80kg pig, a tray of sticky rice and chicken, and a pig's head to be offered at the Duc Ong temple. These offerings are taken care of by the main Giap. Every year, the village will elect a main Giap to take care of the festival. In addition, each man must contribute a bowl of sticky rice and chicken. All the main expenses of the festival are taken care of by the Cai Dam. The festival day is no less important. That is, the selection of people to participate in the boat race. Those chosen must be healthy and skilled in rowing and water work. Each boat will select 30 people to be the main rowers, in addition to people holding flags, drums, and cymbals to cheer. In total, one

The boat can have from 40 to 50 people. Preparations are finished by the evening of the 15th. The 16th is the beginning of the festival rituals.

On the morning of June 16, the two groups gathered at the village communal house to hold a ceremony to welcome the god from the temple to the communal house. This procession was meant to welcome Tran Khanh Du to the communal house to witness and review the festival. At the temple, a week of ceremonies were held, then the royal decree was carried back to the communal house, placed on the communal house altar, and held a grand ceremony. This ceremony lasted from the third watch of June 16 to June 17.

On the morning of the 17th, the weapons and sacrificial objects were brought to the Duc Ong Temple, and the ceremonies lasted all night. At 3am on the 18th, the thu dam drums were beaten. This type of thu dam beating was very strange and unique, it was a continuous, long-lasting beating, but also very skillful. Everyone was looking forward to hearing the sound of the drums even though it was late at night. After the thu dam, the two armies gathered at the Communal House to check the number of troops and equipment, then returned to the barracks to rest and prepare for the race in the afternoon. This was considered as receiving weapons and orders to prepare for the battle in the afternoon.

At 2:00 p.m. the same day, the two civil and military generals led the army in a parade of three closed circles. Each time they met in the center in front of the temple, the generals cheered like thunder. After completing three outer circles, the two generals led the army into the temple yard and circled three inner circles. When circling in the yard, the generals had to run fast and not get lost. This has been an unchangeable rule for 400 years. After three closed circles, the two rows of troops stood solemnly for the organizing committee to work, then the two generals went to pay respect to the gods and received orders to go into battle. At this time, in the temple yard, it was like a melee. Some carried the generals on their backs, some held knives, while the soldiers and civilians cheered and the drums blared loudly, leading the troops onto dragon boats and rushing out to sea. The two boats paraded on the sea three closed circles and then slowly docked for the two generals to read the announcement. The announcement does not forget to remind everyone on the island village to worship the five human gods. The announcement also prays for the gods and spirits to bless the villagers with good health and for the country to be at peace. The announcement reads:

The ancient Mang River waves rose, reflecting the sound of spears. The mountains and seas tomorrow, drums urged the army to roar.

Smash the invaders' dream of invasion, Let Van Don shine forever

Let our homeland have a season of flowers blooming and bearing fruit

…

The announcement is like a proclamation, a proclamation or a message, a form of announcement that is popular and appropriate to the historical period at that time. After the announcement, the two dragon boats quickly turn their bows to the starting point, the whistle sounds to start the competition, the two boats rush forward, reaching the designated point and entering the dotted line. The competition lasts about 13 minutes, whether winning or losing, the two generals lead their troops in front of the temple to return their swords and lead their troops back to the barracks to eat and drink happily.

A special thing about this festival is that whichever side wins, the general of that side will be carried from the wharf to Duc Ong Temple to report his achievements to General Tran Khanh Du and the three Pham brothers. Carrying the general is a very interesting and joyful scene, it is an act to honor one's talented general.

At 8:30 a.m. on June 19th, the General gathered in the communal house yard with the elders and villagers to pray for peace, brought a warship made of five-colored paper, gold, silver, and incense to the water's edge to burn, sprinkled rice and salt, everyone whispered prayers and together brought the royal decree and Tran Khanh Du's spirit along with the palanquin back to the communal house, called: the royal procession returning to the palace, ending the village festival.

On the 20th, the Communal House closing ceremony is held. The festival ends here. Boats and people working far away continue their work.

The rowing festival in Quan Lan Van Dan has existed for a long time, deeply rooted in the subconscious of the islanders, from young to old, men and women, everyone admires it. The village festival has the power to gather the villagers even more than the Lunar New Year.

The festival is held annually in the center of Quan Lan Island, recalling the heroic feats of our ancestors in the resistance war against the Yuan-Mongol invaders. The festival also serves as a prayer for the residents, praying for favorable weather, calm seas and a bountiful harvest.

The annual festival is the spiritual support of the people of Quan Lan island, closely linked to the land and people here, expressing the unique cultural features of the island. It has many meanings and values: economic, political, security, national defense. Together with the complex of historical and cultural relics and other famous landscapes in Van Don, the festival is truly a precious cultural heritage that needs to be preserved and promoted.

As time goes by, Van Don festival has changed somewhat but its meaning remains intact in the minds of the people. Therefore, this festival not only brings

The festival is a folk cultural activity, meeting the needs of religion and spiritual culture and has become a historical festival of national stature.

b, Fairy Couple Temple Festival

The festival is held annually in January and lasts until the end of March, but the main festival is on January 6. This festival has been held since 1997, when Cap Tien Temple was transferred to Van Don district for management.

Every year on the 6th day of the Lunar New Year, local people and tourists from near and far flock to the Cap Tien Temple area to witness the temple festival opening ceremony. First is the incense-lighting ceremony by the district leader, followed by the opening speech of the festival, the drum-beating ceremony and finally the incense-offering ceremony. This ceremony is usually performed by a district worshiping group. The worshiping group consists of 20 people, dressed in colorful costumes. They perform the ceremony to the background music of "flowing water and clouds" with well-practiced rituals and movements.

The opening ceremony took place throughout the morning of the 6th. This is a festival imbued with folk beliefs, with the meaning of praying for calm seas, health and luck. On this day, people in the district often come here to pray and drink water from the Fairy Well, hoping for good luck all year round.

Moreover, this temple is also an indispensable part for tourists who come to the festival. Because according to legend, this is the "Con" temple, meaning that Cua Ong Temple worships his father, Tran Quoc Tang, and Cap Tien Temple worships his daughter. Therefore, whenever tourists visit the Cha Temple, they will visit the Con Temple. It has become a habit of the people. Once they visit the Cha Temple but not the Con Temple, they will feel uncomfortable, they think that they will be punished by the gods.

For that reason, tourists know and come to Cap Tien Temple the most during the festival. Gradually, the prayers when coming to the temple are not only limited to praying for the island district residents but have expanded, praying for national peace and prosperity, prosperity for every family, and peace and development for the country.

Recognized as a historical relic and scenic spot, the Cap Tien Temple festival is gradually becoming a national festival.

c, Ethnic culture

Van Don is an island district with many ethnic groups living together, of which the San Diu ethnic group accounts for a large number.

Dai Xuyen commune is a mountainous commune in the district, this is where the largest number of San Diu people are concentrated, 98% of the commune's population is of this ethnic group.

The San Diu people have many different names: Ly, Truong, Tu, Diep, Ta, Ninh... People of the same clan treat each other very closely. The religious community with its taboos and rituals is the glue that creates lasting cohesion in clan relationships.

The San Diu village has 200 - 300 households, surrounded by bamboo fences, houses hidden under rows of areca trees, fruit trees, and timber trees in the garden.

In social and daily relationships, the San Diu people still treat each other with solidarity and family affection. This is shown in the way they address each other: Mr., Mrs., Uncle, Aunt, Brother, Sister, Child, Grandchild...

The San Diu people's economy is self-sufficient. The people here raise chickens, ducks, pigs, buffaloes, cows, bees, silkworms and fish. Of these, raising buffaloes, cows and fish are the main activities.

The San Diu people's main craft is blacksmithing. However, the San Diu people in Van Don district still maintain the weaving craft (baskets, winnowing baskets, etc.), and carpentry is also developed.

Regarding religious beliefs: like many other ethnic groups in the country, the San Diu people take ancestor worship as their main practice. At the same time, they also worship some gods in the temples of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. In addition, the San Diu people also worship Buddha Quan Am, the Patriarch, Ba Mu, Tho Than, Thanh Hoang Lang, Tao Quan, and Ma Tho Cong.

In the spiritual life of the San Diu people, there exist many different rituals and festivals, big and small. These are rituals associated with the cycle of human life: birth, wedding, funeral.

The San Diu people's traditional game is badminton, but the San Diu people in Van Don also have bamboo stilts, spinning tops, shuttlecocks, chasing chickens into cages, chasing dogs into cages, and tug of war and wrestling. These are unique games that we can only witness when we come to the San Diu people in Van Don.

San Diu people's houses are small in scale, with simple structural frames. Because the truss usually has 3 or 5 columns, the house usually has 3 compartments, with two sides protruding forward about 80 cm, creating

There is a small porch in front of the main room. The roof is usually thatched or straw. The house is surrounded by earthen walls. In the village of the San Diu people, every house is the same, creating a very special looking village.

About costumes: the traditional female costume of the San Diu people includes a headscarf, long dress, short dress, belt and leggings.

In the past, men wore a five-panel shirt with a high collar, buttoned on the right side, narrow sleeves, a short body, and brown or white pants. Today, they dress like the Vietnamese.

In the folk literature treasure of the San Diu people, there are many genres: poetry, stories, proverbs. But among them, there is a very special genre that is attracting a large number of people, which is the Soong Co seed language.

This is a form of antiphonal singing during production work, during festivals and weddings. It is called Soong Co singing because in the San Diu language, "Soong Co" means "singing". This is an impromptu singing style, without musical instruments or fixed rhymes. The content of these songs is to praise the country, exchange production experiences or sometimes they are love songs of couples in love. Regardless of the content, these are positive songs, reducing the hardships of production work, songs of love for life. Soong Co singing helps them work more enthusiastically and effectively, and relieves the sadness in life.

Although they are not allowed to sing on stage, have no costumes, and no musical instruments, such vibrant songs can be heard everywhere in the San Diu villages.

The San Diu village in Binh Dan commune is a typical village with traditional rituals and ceremonies. Visitors can witness their daily life as well as wedding ceremonies, new rice celebrations, etc.

In the near future, this place will be an attractive destination for tourists who want to explore the customs of ethnic minorities across Vietnam.

d, Culture and arts

* Singing Cheo on the road:

Van Don is an island district where the lives of most residents are tied to river activities. In the past, many families used boats as their homes and spent the whole year at sea. Perhaps because of the vastness of life on the river, not knowing where the shore is, it was both dangerous and dangerous.

dangerous and boring, so they came up with songs to comfort themselves, to dispel the fear of loneliness on the deep river and the vast ocean. Gradually, those songs became familiar, becoming an indispensable part of the lives of the residents of this coastal area. Those songs were called "road cheo singing" by the fishermen.

Fishermen consider rivers and seas as roads, so they do not call the song "sea rowing" but call it "road rowing", which means rowing on the road.

The scientific name of this art form is: coastal love song. Because this song is a need to exchange feelings of fishermen who live on the sea, they sing to cover up their sadness, loneliness, and fear.

Singing form: workers are both actors and composers. They come up with their own lyrics, sing spontaneously, and sing in response to each other.

The main themes in these songs are getting to know each other, making friends, exchanging experiences, careers, love between couples, and love for one's homeland.

Cheo Duong singing was recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Information as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2003. Therefore, this genre has been preserved, restored, and kept in the national intangible cultural heritage library.

Currently, Van Don district has zoned off areas where residents still preserve this singing style. The most are in Thang Loi commune. And every two years, Van Don district participates in the "coastal singing" contest organized by Quang Ninh province.

e, Special dishes

* Dishes made from Sa Sung:

This is the most famous specialty dish in Quan Lan. Sandworms are often harvested early in the morning, when the tide is low. According to the locals, in the early morning, Sandworms eat shallow food near the ground, and when it is almost noon, Sandworms burrow deep down.

underground so it is very difficult to dig. Sandworms are exploited all year round, the only mining tools are a spade with a blade about 50cm long and a basket to hold the Sandworms. When encountering a nest

Learn about tourism resources of Van Don district - Quang Ninh province - 9

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