Giving fans ritual is reproduced during the Đoan Ngọ Festival at the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Tùng

HÀ NỘI — An ancient ritual was recreated over the weekend in Hà Nội.

During the Later Lê Dynasty (1533 - 1789), kings would host a ritual to give fans to all mandarins during the Đoan Ngọ festival in summer.

A part of the ritual was reproduced on Saturday at the opening of the Đoan Ngọ festival, held at the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel.

The ritual is a part of various traditional cultural activities organised by the Thăng Long Heritage Conservation Centre.

Phan Duy Thắng, deputy director of the centre, said the programme aims to preserve traditional cultural values and educate younger generations.    

Đoan Ngọ festival is held annually on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, which falls on June 7 this year.

As the festival falls during summer, people often hold family reunions and enjoy fresh fruits and fermented glutinous rice.

Historian Lê Văn Lan highly appreciated the effort of the centre in preparing costumes and offerings for the rituals.

“This is the first time such a ritual reappeared in front of the public, the centre experts made it accurately follow how it is described in the historical books,” said Lan.

Attending the programme, visitors, particularly children, will have a chance to enjoy traditional fan-making activities, folk games and a water puppetry show.

A highlight of the event includes an exhibition on the history of the Đoan Ngọ festival from past to present.

Through the artefacts and paintings of Henri Oger (a colonial administrator in French Indochina), the culinary art of artisan Nguyễn Ánh Tuyết and a unique handmade paper fan collection on Thăng Long's landscapes of artisan Lân Tuyết, visitors will understand more about the traditional celebration of Đoan Ngọ festival.

The exhibitions on the Đoan Ngọ festival and Vietnamese folk games will run through June 9 and June 30, respectively, at the Thăng Long Royal Citadel, 19C Hoàng Diệu Street, Hà Nội. — VNS