HÀ NỘI — Authorities in the central province of Thanh Hóa will organise a festival dedicated to local heroes who lived more than 600 years ago.

The festival, from September 29 to October 2, aims to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the Lam Sơn Uprising, the 590th anniversary of King Lê Thái Tổ’s coronation and the 585th anniversary of national hero Lê Lợi’s death.

The worship ceremonies will be held at King Lê Thái Tổ’s mausoleum, Lê Lai’s Temple, the Temple of the Later Lê Dynasty and the statue of Lê Lợi in the centre of Thanh Hóa City on September 29 and 30.

An anniverary ceremony will be held on October 1 at the ancient courtyard inside the Lam Kinh Historic Site Complex. The ceremony will include a palanquin procession and a traditional-style worship ceremony.

The event also will host art shows under the theme Long Lived Lam Sơn Spirit, which features the tradition of fighting against Chinese Ming invaders to protect the country’s sovereignty, folk music and games.

The event will be live broadcast on VTV1 channel and the channel of Thanh Hóa Television & Radio.

During the festival, the city will host various cultural, sport and tourism activities like a fair of Lê family businesses; a contest on studying the traditions of the Lê Family; an art contest among Lê descendants; a conference on Hero Lê Lợi and the Thanh Hóa people in the beginning of the Lam Sơn Uprising and a table tennis tournament.

Lam Kinh has been known in historical documents as a land associated with the career of national hero Lê Lợi, the leader of the Lam Sơn Uprising over 10 years against the northern invaders (1418-1428).

After gaining independence for the country, Lê Lợi stepped into the crown as King Lê Thái Tổ. Under his reign (1428-1433) the country was wealthy and prosperous. He directed locals to build Lam Kinh as the second royal citadel of the Lê reign in his homeland.

According to Đại Việt Sử Ký Toàn Thư (The Great Annals of Đại Việt), the King passed away on the 22nd day of the eighth lunar month. People then took that day to hold an annual festival to remind descendants of the heroic tradition of the nation and remember ancestors.

The festival starts one day earlier as when he was alive, the King told his descendants to make a worship ceremony dedicated to Lê Lai on a day earlier to his own death anniversary.

Lê Lai was the King’s loyal general, who sacrificed his life to save Lê Lợi so he could escape from the Ming invaders’ siege in during a battle. — VNS